He's a Girl!
by Watermelonsmellinfellon
Summary: Naruto is smart! No joke, she is! She, not he. Naruto is actually a girl and has decided, after a slip up in Wave, to stop pretending to be an idiot. This, unfortunately, gets her more attention than she ever thought she wanted. Bonds are created, and secrets are revealed. BEWARE- 2 different stories. Shikamaru/Naruto story. Gaara/Naruto story. Pick your path and be on your way! :D
1. Secret Number One

**A/N: Hello people! This is a new story of mine! I wanted to see if I can do another kind of Naruto story!**

**If you like Sakura and Kakashi, check out my story, Tabu Sensei! It's about Sakura being the author of the new romance series called Tabu, and no one knowing about it! No one except Pakkun! Why? Well, you would have to read it to see. But I will tell you this, it has beaten out Icha Icha and Jiraiya can't stand it! Kakashi, who once was a faithful fan of Icha Icha, has even turned from the 'right path'! Also, some people are making connections about the main characters in the Tabu series looking like Kakashi and Sakura! Ha ha ha! Find out more if you'd like! :D**

**I do not have a beta for this story. My normal beta, who usually does all of my stories, is also busy doing other peoples stories, and trying to write her own stories. Along with her own health issues, and family with health issues, she doesn't have a lot of time on her hands. I don't want to add more to her work load. All mistakes are mine. If you see something, please let me know what I need to work on.**

**Enjoy!**

Naruto was watching. That was all she ever did, was watch. She was a ninja, who was often looked over, or down upon, simply because she existed. The reason, was because she was a jinchuuriki. The vessel for the Kyuubi no Youko, who had attacked the village thirteen year prior to present time, and had killed the Yondaime Hokage. Her village saw her as the fox, and hated her for what it had done.

Yet, they also thought, aside from her being a demon, that she was a boy. After a horrible incident when she was younger, she let them all believe it. It protected her from any villagers that thought to get back at the demon by means of bodily desecration. If she was mistaken for a boy, rape was a low possibility for her. If that had happened, she wouldn't be able to look passed it.

Life had always been hard. The villagers made sure of that. She was only allowed into one grocery store, and one department store. The only restaurant in town that let her get near the door, let alone_ inside_, was Ichiraku Ramen. In turn, that made her love the owner Teuchi, and his daughter Ayame to death.

The young lady had been a great help to Naruto over the years. Besides the Hokage, she and her father, along with Naruto's two favorite people in the world, Hinata Hyuga and Iruka Umino, were the only people who knew that Naruto wasn't a he. So when lady problem started to arise, Ayame was there to lend a helping hand.

To keep up her guise, she dressed in bright orange clothes that were extremely loose in the important areas, and wrapped her chest just in case. The top of her hair was spiky, and pointed in random directions. Halfway down the back of her head though, it grew long reaching to her waist. Not having the heart to chop off her best feature, she put it in a low ponytail, and kept it tucked into the back of her jacket.

She spoke in a gruff voice, and purposely got into fights with the boys, rolling around in the dirt as much as possible. She even dreamed up a fake crush on Sakura Haruno. Or, as Naruto preferred, 'Pinky'.

No one suspected that she was faking stupidity. Failing the graduation exam three times was Kyuubi's idea. At those times, Naruto was at her lonliest, and failed so that she could stay near Iruka a little bit longer. She knew everything, with Kyuubi's help of course. She had no trouble with anything, but everyone had to believe that she was an idiot with an unattainable goal in order for her secret to be kept, and for her to remain underestimated.

If they knew that she was smart and that she _saw_ everything, they would all faint. _That_ was why she watched. Because no one ever suspected her of anything! So, when the time came, she would surprise the _hell_ out of someone and leave them dumbfounded.

She enjoyed watching the Uchiha squirm. He was good at blocking his emotions yes, but Naruto could still see the discomfort and agitation in his stance and gaze. Pinky was latched onto his arm, babbling about nonsense no doubt. She never listened because the girl was always ridiculous when she opened her mouth. The Uchiha looked ready to puke at whatever she said.

They had been waiting for Kakashi for the past hour and she was too busy fighting to keep her laughter in to pay attention to anything else. The Uchiha noticed her smirk and threw her a seething glare.

"What are you laughing at dobe?" he demanded.

She shrugged and looked away, "Nothing teme."

"Yo!"

Sakura was up in Kakashi's face screaming about how he late he was.

Naruto wanted to smack herself. She had been fixated in the Uchiha's torment, and forgot to jump up and scream with the pink haired girl. Apparently, it didn't go unnoticed, because Sakura turned to give her a surprised look.

"You didn't yell at him with me. Are you feeling well?" she asked with a, surprisingly worried look.

Sasuke and Kakashi both regarded her as well. She couldn't believe that one little mishap could get her the attention she had always craved. How ridiculous!

She quickly thought up a lie, "I was enjoying the teme's torture." She gave her best smirk, and snickered at the livid look on the boys face.

"At least I have women on my heels dobe! What do you have? Nothing," the Uchiha smirked, thinking he had won.

Naruto looked at him for a few seconds, before bursting out into loud guffaws. Why would she ever want girls trailing after her? Even if she was a guy, fangirls were creepy! They never gave the object of their affection a break, and she could honestly say that she was glad for being an uncool 'guy'. There were no crazy girls sitting outside her house trying to get a picture of her naked and such. That would've blown her secret years ago.

Her teammates looked at her like she was crazy. She probably looked it too! Her 'rival', had just insulted her, saying that she wasn't good enough to get girls to hang off of her, and instead of blowing up like she normally pretended to, she laughed in his face. There she went again! What else would she forget today? Now they were going to be watching her. _She_ was the one who did the watching! Not the other way around!

"So why are you here sensei? Would you like to hear about Sasuke's stalkers? I mean Fans?" she asked with a wide grin.

That had the Uchiha fuming. Kakashi gave a crinkly eye smile, "Uh….no. I came to tell you guys that I volunteered you for the Chuunin Selection Exams."

He handed them all a piece of paper and wished them good luck. He was gone before they could ask any questions.

Sasuke smirked and turned to leave, with Sakura following, begging for a date.

"Why don't you go and do some training instead of bothering me? Seriously, you're worse than Naruto," the boy growled at her.

Naruto flinched at the dejected look on the girl's face. Somehow, that boy had dozens of fans by being a complete asshole. How he pulled it off, she had no idea, but treating your teammate like that was just wrong. He really needed friendship counseling.

Before she could comfort the girl, Konohamaru appeared, with his friends, begging for her to play ninja with them. Sakura made a snarky remark, which ended up with Konohamaru asking if the two were dating. The pink haired girl turned and hit the little boy, sending him flying.

Naruto rushed to the kids side, and helped him up.

Konohamaru moaned in pain before jumping and pointing at Sakura, "She's a monster! And did you guys see how big her forehead was?!" he screamed.

Naruto face palmed herself. Of all the things for him to say, the kid had to go and say that!

Sakura turned to face them slowly. Her face was anger personified. Naruto felt a shiver run up her spine when Pinky gave poor little Konohamaru that evil look. He didn't deserve what she was going to do to him.

She spun around and began chasing after him. The boy was off, screaming his lungs out, and Naruto followed them, trying to think of a way to get Sakura to calm down. She drew a blank. Sakura never calmed down unless she finally got a good hit in. This wasn't going to end well.

She caught up with them in time to see some kitten dressed dork lift Konohamaru up by the front of his shirt. Sakura was stuttering out apologies to him, trying to get him to let the boy go. She was ignored and the guy, whom Naruto decided to name 'Kitten', was threatening Konohamaru!

"Hey Kitten, let the kid go!" she ordered with a glare.

He turned to look at her and sneeed, "I'm not a kitten!"

Naruto snorted, "Okay fine, a clown then. Jeez, people these days are so picky!"

Kitten's face went a startling shade of scarlet under the purple paint that covered his face. "Why you little-"

Naruto watched as a pebble came flying at the strange ninja, hitting his hand, making him drop Konohamaru. She had to give it him, Sasuke was good. The fact that he'd followed them and hadn't actually gone home or something was touching in a sort of way. Sure he was still a prick in her book, but he had gained a little respect from her, because of what he'd just done.

"You don't belong here. Get lost," said the Uchiha as he lounged on a tree limb. The other rock he was holding, was crushed, and Naruto sighed at the theatrics, watching the dust fly away in the breeze.

Kitten growled surprisingly well and turned to Sasuke, "Great. Another midget comes around to piss me off. Hey you! Come here!"

"Kankuro, stop it."

Naruto was staring at the tree branch on the other side if Sasuke's tree. Blood red hair and sea foam green eyes stared back at her. It was a bit unnerving when said eyes didn't blink or look away.

"G-Gaara! T-they started it!" Kitten accused.

The green eyes never looked away, "Shut up. Or do you want me to kill you?"

Naruto shivered at that deep voice. The boy had to be around her age, yet he had such a matured voice! Sasuke didn't even have a voice like that! Neither did Shikamaru or Kiba for that matter!

"I-I'm sorry G-Gaara!" Kitten stuttered. Out of the corner of her eye, Naruto saw him raise him hands in a placating manner. The Gaara boy had yet to look away, so their staring contest continued.

Konohamaru got off the ground and hid behind Naruto. She could feel his trembling hands clutching the back of her jacket, pulling on it.

Gaara disappeared in a swirl of sand, and reappeared on the ground, beside his companions. He turned to give the girl behind Kitten a look, "Lets go. We have more important things to do."

Sasuke decided that he would join his team as well, and jumped down to Naruto's side. "Hey you! What's your name?!" he called to Gaara.

"Sabaku no Gaara. You?" the red haired ninja countered with a barely noticeable glare.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the ego inflated boy smirked, as if he was expecting them to know who he was. _Egotistical jerk_, Naruto thought with a frown.

She turned slightly to pry Konohamaru's hands off her jacket, "Let's go play ninja now."

She started off down the street, opposite to where the Gaara kid was.

Konohamaru stopped all of a sudden and grabbed her jacket again. "Hey boss! What's this?!" he asked.

She felt a pressure of someone yanking her hair, hard. Her head was pulled back as Konohamaru pulled harder. "Ow! Ow! Okay, I don't want to go bald!" she yelped, pulling away and cradling her aching head. That midget had a strong grip for someone so tiny.

She pulled all of her hair out of her clothes and wanted to snicker at Konohamaru's amazed, "Ooh!" She couldn't blame him. Her hair was amazing! It wasn't that she was being full of herself, it was the truth. Sasuke's best asset was his perfect skin, and Sakura had her eyes. It just so happened to be fact that Naruto's best feature was her hair.

Sakura's jaw was on the ground and Sasuke's eyes were slightly wider than usual. The almighty Uchiha would never outwardly show emotion. Such a thought would be ridiculous of course. But he was, and Naruto had to work hard not to rub it in his face at the moment.

"N-Naruto, i-is that really your hair?!" Sakura screamed in shock, pointing at the blonde.

Naruto gave her a dry look. It was connected to her head wasn't it? It was even the same color, so it couldn't be fake.

Konohamaru, Moegi and Udon were all whispering about her hair. Moegi wanted to braid it, and Konohamaru wanted to see it in a ponytail. Udon suggested chopping it off, which caused Naruto to back up from him, her face turned pale. "I like my hair long thanks," she said nervously, with an awkward smile.

"Yeah! Boss looks so cool with long hair! Leave it the way it is!" Konohamaru shouted, bonking the boy on the head.

"Ow! Okay, I was just saying," the boy rubbed his head with a frown.

Naruto stared at her teammates, who had yet to look away and laughed, "Hi."

Sasuke regained his composure quickly, and left down another street. Sakura was still standing in the same spot, mouth agape. Kitten and his two teammates were still there as well.

The redhead was still looking at her, "Your name?" He asked with a tilt of the head.

"Naruto Uzumaki," the blonde answered with a cocked brow. "Are you here for the Chuunin Exams?" she asked.

He nodded. She sighed, "Well, we'll see you there then."

With that, she turned and led the children away from them. As she walked away, she could still feel Sakura's eyes following her. Was it really that much of a shock?

The next morning, Naruto wasn't in the best of moods. The night before, some idiot tried to get her to give up on the Chuunin Exams, and she whooped his ass. It was so late when she got home, she didn't get much sleep, and she blamed it all on that guy.

The walk to the academy was just like old times. It made her smile a little, remembering all the times she would skip, or come in late. This time was different though. This was the Chunin Exam, and acting like an idiot wasn't to be tolerated. This time, she was early, and stood outside waiting for her team.

Sasuke appeared a little while after she did. He paused in his steps to stare at her. "You're early," He noted with barely concealed shock.

Naruto nodded. She then looked away, and pulled out a comb, pulling it through her long locks. When she was satisfied, she let it all hang down, deciding against a putting it up. She didn't want to risk looking like Ino at all. Knowing her, she would complain about how Naruto had to go and copy her hairstyle, and that it would no longer be cool anymore, or something of the like. Ino was bitch like that.

She also didn't wear a headband for fear of resembling Sakura. _That_ would've been the most ridiculous argument _ever_ if she had done that! Instead, she just let her hair hang free.

Sakura showed up not long after Sasuke, and greeted them both, to Naruto's surprise. Sakura never went out of her way to be nice to her before, so what had happened? Naruto shrugged it off. It wasn't going to last, that was for sure.

They entered the academy and trudged up the stairs. On the second floor, there was a big group of people causing a commotion. A boy, clad in a full body green spandex suit was on the ground, and a girl, Naruto assumed that she was his teammate, was helping him up. Two boys stood guarding the doorway to a room. The sign above said room 301, but they had only gone up two floors.

Even though her Genjutsu was pretty bad, Naruto could gather that there was one in place, even without help from Kurama. Yet, she couldn't help but wonder how everyone forgot that they only walked up two flights of stairs?

She turned around and began to walk away.

"See, she was smart. She knows when to give up!" one of the boys announced to the gathered shinobi.

Naruto turned slightly and frowned at the spiky haired kid, and told him a small lie "Actually, I'm a boy. And I'm going to the third floor. Stairs are over there," she said pointing to the end of the hall, where the other staircase was.

"So, you saw through our Genjutsu huh? Well then," the boy next to Spiky charged, fist raised. Naruto raised a brow, and moved to the side, allowing the boy to blow past her and fall to the floor.

"A wise shinobi never lets his emotions rule him, or death will be assured," Naruto quoted, remembering reading that as one of the shinobi rules of conduct.

The boy glared, but remained on the floor. Naruto continued past him, Sasuke and Sakura catching up with him.

"Hey, how did you know that? Did you see the Genjutsu?" Sakura asked.

Naruto shook her head, "No. But I noticed that we only went up two floors, not three."

Sasuke and Sakura paused and looked at each other. What had happened to Naruto? Since when did he make observations like that?

Naruto snickered. She was stuck between annoyance that she had once again, showed that she wasn't an idiot, and mirth that she had shocked her team into silence. It was a hard decision, but she chose to be glad. Starting the Chunin Exams off with a bad attitude wouldn't help her at all.

Kakashi leaned against the wall outside the exam room doors. His team would be arriving, and registering for the Chunin Exams, and he planned to greet them. He could only hope that Sakura showed up. She was the only one who didn't seem excited at the prospect of rising in rank. In fact, she looked about ready to bolt.

He never told them that they could only go on when all team members were present. He didn't want the boy's to harass Sakura. She had to come to a decision on her own.

A few minutes passed, and Kakashi listened to the sounds of a scuffle, happening somewhere down the hall. He could hear the attacks being landed, but couldn't hear any voices.

Who was fighting this early on? The exams hadn't even started yet.

Kakashi nearly fell over when he heard Gai's voice. "Kakashi and I are arch rivals for all eternity!" the man shouted.

"Na ah! No way!"

Kakashi knew those voices! Naruto and Sakura! Why was Gai with them? Was he maybe fighting Sasuke? No, that was ridiculous, right?

A few minutes later, and miniature Gai walked by him, giving a slight bow before entering the room. Maybe _he_ was the one fighting Sasuke.

Not too long after that, his own team showed up, right on time. He pushed off from the wall, and gave them each a once over. Sakura and Sasuke both looked determined. He turned to Naruto and his jaw dropped and eye widened. What was with the long hair? Where had it come from?

"I keep it in my jacket all the time," Naruto answered when he asked.

He shook his head, and gave them his "'I'm Proud of You' speech. Then, sent them on their way.

The doors opened and closed. The last thing Kakashi saw, was Naruto's swaying hair.

**A/N: Please leave a review and tell me what you think! Also, I don't know who Naruto should end up with! Please give your suggestion in your review!**

**Let me know if this story is worth continuing, because I already have the second chapter started, and it's at 3,179 words so far!**

**Ja ne! :D**


	2. Secret Number Two

**A/N: Hello again! This is chapter two!**

**I'm dedicating this chapter to Proudhollow, the 10th reviewer, and Xcell, the 30th reviewer! You guys rock!**

**I don't own Naruto or the characters. I do own this plot though.**

**All mistakes are mine. I don't have a beta for this story. If you see something, please let me know what I need to work on! :D**

**I actually got some suggestions in reviews for some things that people wanted to see in this chapter. When I posted the first chapter, I had half of the second finished, and the things people wanted to see, were already written. I think that is hilarious! Well, all great minds think alike! :D**

**The A/N: at the bottom will tell you the standing for whom Naruto ends up with! Check it out!**

**Enjoy!**

The exam room was filled with shinobi. Naruto grinned in confidence, not at all affected by the glares being thrown their way. She had suffered worse glares her whole life. No way was she going to let that scare her away!

"Sasuke!"

Team seven flinched at the high pitched voice of Ino Yamanaka. Naruto moved aside in order to let the Sasuke loving blonde glomp her crush.

Sasuke threw her a frosty glare for it, but it was either that, or get bowled over in the process.

Sakura was in Ino's face immediately, screaming about how Sasuke was hers and that the 'pig' had to back off or else.

Shikamaru and Choji walked up at a much slower pace than Ino. "Man you guys are here too? What a drag!" Shikamaru groaned.

Naruto snorted at Shikamaru. The lazy Nara had been using that line for years! It was nice to see that he didn't change at all.

Shikamaru turned to look at Naruto and froze. Since when did Naruto have long hair? And why did he all of a sudden think that it made Naruto even prettier?_ Prettier_?! _Where did that come from_?! The boy thought in slight panic.

Ino also noticed Naruto's add feature and gaped, "Where did all of that come from?"

Naruto shrugged, "I've always had long hair. I just never told any of you."

Sakura looked ready to open her mouth but was stopped by Kiba. He walked up, "Yahoo! It looks like the gang's all back together again!"

His teammates, Hinata and Shino were behind him. Hinata broke away from them to approach Naruto, "You finally let your hair down!"

It wasn't lost on the three teams that Hinata didn't stutter once. Also, they didn't miss the fact that the Hyuga heiress already knew about Naruto's secret. When the usually timid girl _hugged_ Naruto, they were all shocked.

Kiba stalked forward, only stopping when he was in front of Naruto. "Is that really you Naruto?" he asked.

Naruto held her breath when Kiba leaned in until they were nose to nose, and took a loud sniff. Shock flashed across the Inuzuka's face and he leaned closer, placing his nose in the crook of Naruto's shoulder. "You smell like a-"

He was yanked away from the blonde by Hinata, who placed her hand over his mouth. She leaned into his ear and whispered something that no one could hear. The Inuzuka's face flushed. "So, my nose wasn't wrong?" he asked the girl.

Naruto could tell immediately that Kiba had scented her. Having started her cycle a day prior, it was no wonder why he could smell her shift in scent. So now Kiba knew that Naruto was a she. Not exactly how she wanted to be found out, but, whatever.

Hinata whispered something else into Kiba's ear and he nodded.

"What was your nose not wrong about Kiba?" Ino asked, butting into peoples business like she normally did.

Kiba looked at her, and then to Hinata, who subtly shook her head no. "Uh, how Naruto was telling the truth, and that the hair wasn't fake," he covered himself quickly, throwing them all a grin.

Sakura and Ino, who had been leaning forward in eagerness, deflated at the simple answer. Shikamaru gave the Inuzuka a look, saying that while he knew what the boy said was the truth, it wasn't what Kiba was originally going to say. Choji continued to eat his chips, and Shino only tilted his head slightly. Sasuke was staring at the blonde member of his team.

"You guys shouldn't draw so much attention to yourselves!"

The nine rookies all looked over at the silver haired teen with glasses. He was grinning at them as he came closer.

"Who are you?" Sakura demanded in a bitchy tone.

The teen laughed, "I am Kabuto Yakushi. I wanted to tell you that because you guys are the rookies, fresh out of the academy, you've already gained the attention of everyone here. Most of which have taken the Chunin Exams multiple times and have failed. You don't want to get anymore attention drawn to yourselves. A lot of them don't appreciate newbies coming in."

Sakura gave him a look, "How many times have you taken this then?"

Kabuto had the guts to look embarrassed, "Um…..this is my seventh time. My fourth year, since they're held twice a year."

The rookies stared at him in silence. They all glanced at each other in shock. Were the exams really that hard?

"But, don't count me out just yet! I did do some information gathering while I was here, so it wasn't a complete waste of time," Kabuto told them, pulling out a deck of cards. "These, are my ninja info cards. Anything about a competitor that you want to know, as long as you have a name or description, is all in here."

Sasuke moved forward, "Rock Lee, Sabaku no Gaara and Naruto Uzumaki."

Naruto fixed the teme with a glare. What the hell did he want to know? Why couldn't he just ask her himself?

Kabuto chuckled and swiped his hand over the deck, pulling out three cards, "Here they are."

He placed them down, and focused chakra into the first. "Rock Lee graduated last year with props for his amazing Taijutsu, though his other skills are severely lacking. His sensei is Maito Gai, and his teammates are Neji Hyuga and TenTen. He didn't take the Chunin Exams last year because he wanted to train more. He's been on 42 D rank missions and 18 C rank missions, none of which failed."

Kabuto focused his chakra into the next card. "Okay. Next we have Sabaku no Gaara, from Suna. His sensei is Baki and his teammates are Temari and Kankuro. There isn't much about him. He's been on 8 D ranks, and Whoa! One B rank even though he's a Genin!"

That got everyone's attention. The guy had done a B rank? Even for those who hadn't met him, they could tell that the guy was dangerous.

"There's something else! Every mission he's had has been a complete success," Kabuto said with a shocked tone.

"Well, you said the Bushy Brow had perfect mission records, so why can't Gaara?" Naruto asked, not getting the big whoop.

"He came back, completely unscathed."

Shikamaru looked at the picture of Gaara and easily spotted the red head in the crowd of Genin. Their eyes met briefly and he shivered. _This_ _guy's been on a B rank and had never been injured_?! _This guy is bad news_!

Akamaru whimpered and snuggled into Kiba's coat further. Kiba knew how the pup felt. He didn't want to run into the Gaara kid either.

Kabuto let the news sink in for a bit, before adding chakra to the last card. Naruto's picture came up, and all of her stats as well. "Let's see. Naruto Uzumaki, graduated this year after failing three times?" Kabuto gave her a questioning look and continued. "Genjutsu is nonexistent, but Taijutsu and Ninjutsu are extremely high! Can perform the A Class jutsu, Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu, and with his mastery of it, created another jutsu that is also considered A rank, called the All Direction Shuriken. Another jutsu he created that utilizes the Multi Shadow Clones, is a B rank called the Harem Jutsu. Wow! His sensei is Kakashi Hatake, his teammates are Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno."

Naruto wanted to know how Kabuto knew such things, but the teen continued on before she could ask. "Knows Kenjutsu and Fuinjutsu. Both skills are very high. Has been on 68 D rank missions, and one C turned A rank! Took an IQ test a week ago. The result was an IQ of 189, which makes me wonder…" Kabuto trailed off.

He looked Naruto in the eye, "Why did you fail three times if you can do all of this? Were you just pretending or something? People don't get this good over night you know!"

The rookies all looked at Naruto who was trying her hardest to not glare at the teen before her. It wasn't working. She leveled him with her darkest glare and replied, "Yes. I did it for my own reasons, and I don't have to tell _you_ why."

Ino was up in her face in an instant, "Why the hell didn't you tell us?! We all thought you were an idiot!"

Naruto turned her glare to the Yamanaka. "Why should I tell you anything? It's not like we're friends," she said with a frown. "And for your information, I told Hinata. She and I _are_ friends."

Since when did Hinata and Naruto hang out? It was a shock, especially to Sasuke and Sakura. They were on a team with the dobe, yet they didn't know anything about the blonde. Yet, Naruto, who didn't spend noticeable time with the Hyuga heiress, had told the girl something so important.

Shikamaru looked at Naruto in a new light. Wasn't Naruto the dead last like him? Yet, the kid's IQ almost matched his own! Kabuto had made a valid point and Naruto confirmed it!

It was ironic actually. The two dead lasts in the academy, were actually the smartest in their year. Probably the whole school. Shikamaru was too lazy and Naruto was faking stupidity. Why though?

What could've happened to cause Naruto to fake? Shikamaru watched the blonde who was frowning at his female teammate. He planned on finding out. This was a good challenge for him.

Ino wasn't letting it go though, "We were still in the same class though!"

Naruto full on glared at her, causing the girl to shrink back in fear, "Hinata has been an _actual_ friend to me all of these years. Even when she was ordered to avoid me. The others close enough to being friends would be Shikamaru, Choji and Kiba, and we didn't hang out all that much either save for skipping class together! So, I don't have to give _you_ of all people, any information regarding my life. Mind your own business!"

Naruto then ignored Ino in favor of Kabuto, "So, how did you find all of that out? My sensei doesn't even know half of that stuff, cause I didn't tell him. How did you came across such detailed information? And I would be honest if I were you. Seeing how you know so much about me, you should also know what you just got yourself into by digging around in my personal information." Her eyes took on a cold look, "Your answer Kabuto?"

Her question got everyone's attention fixated on Kabuto again.

"W-well, I gather info on anyone who becomes a Genin. From Konoha or Suna or even Oto, that's so small it's practically nonexistent." Kabuto explained, hands raised in a placating manner.

A blur out of the corner of her eye, got Naruto's attention. She acted immediately, blocking the attack that was aimed for Kabuto's throat, with her sword.

No one saw Naruto pull out a sword. One minute he was in one place, and the second they blinked, he was gone! Somehow, he had managed to hide a sword on him as well as use it to stop the Oto ninja that had attacked Kabuto. It was shocking!

"You seriously lost it over that?! Grow up!" Naruto sighed in annoyance, kicking the ninja away.

He stumbled back as his partners came to back him up, "Bite me!"

Naruto shook her head and twisted her blade, ready for another attack. "I don't know where you've been," she sneered in disgust.

A large explosion followed by a dust cloud, appeared. When it cleared, there was a group of ninja, with a really tall man in a black trenchcoat standing at the end of the room.

"Alright, that's enough! No more fighting! Get a number and sit down!" the man in the coat ordered.

Naruto sighed and stepped forward. To everyone's astonishment, the sword was gone! Where did it go?!

The Genin couldn't linger as the first part of the Chunin Exams was starting. They were given numbers and told to sit in their assigned seats.

Naruto was lucky to have gotten a seat next to Hinata. The two girls giggled at each other before turning to listen to the rules.

Naruto found it slightly odd that they were given five chances to cheat. It was like they wanted people to cheat. She glanced down at her test and sweatdropped. Of course that was what they wanted! The test was rigged with extremely difficult questions that most ninja would have to cheat in order to get the answers.

_**Well**_, _**Kit**_._** I'd like to see if you paid any attention to what I**_'_**ve taught you over the years**_. _**Expect no help from me**_. Naruto sighed. Kurama wasn't joking it seemed. She was going to have to use logic, intelligence, and patience. She didn't want to sound like Shikamaru, but couldn't help it. _This is such a drag_!

She looked the test over and memorized the questions. Then, raising her pencil slightly, she glanced at the clock, waiting for the perfect time to start. When the minute hand reached the twelve she began.

Shikamaru, who was several seats behind Naruto, and off to the right was looking at the blonde in shock. With the speed Naruto used for answering the questions, there was no question that he nearly paralleled Shikamaru in the intelligence department. This seemed to spur Shikamaru on. For the first time in a long time, he felt moved to actually do something without being forced. He felt the need to prove that the two dead lasts in the academy were indeed the smartest ninja to graduate.

With his new determination in mind, Shikamaru set to work. He would prove that he wasn't some lazy ass, (even though he was) and they would all see that he, and Naruto, were forces to be reckoned with!

Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma and Gai, sat in the 'Sensei Lounge' as they called it. During the Chunin Exams, it was a room where the sensei's could go to watch how their students were doing on the first part of the exam. Each got a television screen to watch their teams. It was better than all of them crowding around a puny screen, trying to see everything.

Inside the exam room, there were cameras everywhere! This way, each sensei could see their students from a different angle. With the push of a button, they could change the view, and in turn, watch everything going on!

"Some of these kids are horrible!" Kurenai sighed, watching how the same ninja got five kunai embedded in his desk in rapid succession. "He didn't even wait before trying again!"

The Jonin sensei's laughed. It was true! Some of the teams were terrible! Others though, were outstanding.

Sasuke and Neji were both using their doujutsu, making Gai and Kakashi proud. TenTen, Neji's teammate, had somehow connected wires to a light fixture above her, allowing her to angle the reflective surface toward her last teammate, Rock Lee. "I have to admit, her speed and accuracy in that is truly amazing," Kakashi complimented, causing Gai to erupt into tears of joy.

"Yes! TenTen's flames of youth are burning brightly today!" the green clad jonin yelled.

Kakashi wasn't disappointed to see Sakura flying through her test. She was top kunoichi after all. It was expected. He did notice how Ino, who sitting far behind Sakura, kept her eyes trained on the girl. A few seconds later, Sakura put her pencil down and sighed, smiling like she'd just won a major victory.

Ino chose to act, forming a handsign, aiming it toward Sakura. The pinkett's head hit her desk before she sat up at started to read her paper.

"It seems that Ino is proficient in her clans jutsu!" Kurenai smiled as Ino then used her mind transfer jutsu on Choji, writing down the answers for him.

When she turned to Shikamaru, she paused. This got the Jonin's attention immediately. They all decided to watch the young Nara whose attention was fixated on Naruto!

They all received a shock when they saw Naruto flying through the answers! Wasn't he the dead last? How could he possibly be able to answer the questions. Kakashi was impressed while the others didn't know what to think. They had all seen Naruto's test scores and knew for a fact that he shouldn't have been able to answer any questions! Yet, there he was, defying what seemed to be, the laws of nature!

They turned their attention back to Shikamaru who was grinning at the blonde. With a nod of his head Shikamaru looked down at his test, picked up his pencil and began to write. His hand a blur as he flew through the questions.

Kakashi immediately saw what had happened, "Hey Asuma? Didn't Naruto and Shikamaru have the lowest test scores?"

Asuma nodded silently, still not believing what he was seeing. Shikamaru was actually answering questions! He wasn't taking a nap!

He finally looked at his Jonin companions, "Yes, but I had him take an IQ test. He told me that the act of putting pencil to paper was a drag, so he never answered any test questions, opting instead, to take a nap."

The Jonin all sighed at the Nara's laziness. Kurenai was the first to react though. "So, what was his score?" she asked.

Asuma stared at the screen, before giving his friends a smile, "Well over two hundred."

The Jonin all gasped, surprised that a Genin could have such a high level of intelligence.

Kakashi smiled, "So Shikamaru was a dead last, even though he is so smart. With the way he's staring at Naruto, I'd say that Naruto, even though he was also dead last, has proved to be just as intelligent as Shikamaru. This, I believe, has spurred him on to prove that the worst ninja in the academy, are in fact the smartest."

The Jonin all watched as the two put down their pencils and both seemed to ease up. Like a great weight was lifted from their shoulders. Was it really possible for the both of them to be the smartest? Asuma couldn't say anything since he knew now what Shikamaru was capable of. Who's to say that Naruto wasn't the same?

They continued to watch. Kiba had Akamaru to help him get the answers. Shino used his bugs and Hinata made good use of her Byakugan. Kurenai was proud of her team.

Gai was watching the red head sitting on the far left. He had two fingers over his eye and his mouth was moving. "Hey, look at the red haired Suna ninja, he seems to be chanting."

The other did so, and watched in veiled disgust, as an eyeball formed from sand appeared, floating next to the boy. He then reached out his hand and crushed it, causing the sand to disperse.

"I wonder what he said?" Asuma mumbled.

"He called it the third eye," Kakashi told them. He was a master at reading lips, after having the Sharingan for so long.

They all nodded, and went back to watching their screens.

When the time was up Gai let out a laugh, "Would you look at that! None of the Rookie Nine were marked for cheating, yet the more experienced ninja, were booted out! You have trained your students well!"

The others smiled in pride. True enough, none of them got caught. One third of them having actually used intelligence to pass. That was a good number. It showed that the next generation of shinobi was quite possibly, a threat, even at their young age.

Kiba watched the Uzumaki breeze through her test. Naruto was a girl! That kind of revelation can change someones view in a short amount of time. The long hair, and the spicy scent really made the thought of mating with Naruto appealing. In the bedroom, long hair could be used for many things.

Akamaru whimpered at the change in his masters scent. Kiba sighed and calmed down, giving the ninken a pat on the head. "It's okay boy. I'll calm down now," he whispered.

On the other side of the room, sat a red head, who was staring down the blond Uzumaki. _**That one**_! _**Kill that one**_!_** Feast on her bones**_! _**Her**_ **_blood will be mine_**!

Gaara grabbed his head as it throbbed in pain. Shukaku wanted the Naruto person. His sand shifted restlessly at the thought of offering the blondes blood to 'mother'.

**_Yes_**! **_We will kill her_**! _Her_? _**Yes**_! **_She has power_**! _**Her powerful blood will make us truly alive**_!...

Gaara laid his head on his desk. _Yes_, _I_'_ll give you_ '_her_'_ blood mother_! _I'm a good boy aren_'_t I_?!

Good boy! The dark voice cheered and the presence receded. Gaara sat up straight, eyes now boring holes into the blonde. I shall have your blood for mother.

Naruto watched as the proctor glanced at the clock and whistled. "Pencils down!"

A collective groan met his order, and he threw them all a glare. "It's time for the last question. You may choose of course not to take it. However, you and your team, will be booted out immediately if you do."

"Well then of course we'd take it!"

"Why would you do that?!"

"Silence!" Ibiki shouted. When everyone quieted down, he continued, "You can take the question, but if you get it wrong, you fail automatically and you can never become Chunin, which means you stay Genin forever."

Sakura was out of her seat in an instant, "But there are people here who've taken the exams before!"

Ibiki grinned evilly, causing a shudder to run through them all, "You were unfortunate to get me as a proctor this year. That is why I'm giving you the chance to quit now, or forever risk your career."

The looks of horror, where kind of funny. Naruto looked around to see hands flying up and teams leaving. Thanks to Kurama, she knew that the man was bluffing, and wanted to laugh. Yet at the same time, she found Ibiki's smile creepy. Like he was getting a sick pleasure from terrifying people.

_**You read about him once**_. _**He**_'_**s the Head of the Konoha Torture and Interrogation Force**_. Kurama told her with a sigh. _Oh yeah_!_ He has several thousand ryo over his head_!_ No wonder he_'_s enjoying himself_!_ They sent him in here to scare the shit out of people_!

Naruto sighed as the fox began to laugh. Maybe Old Man Hokage was a bit sadistic, allowing such a person to proctor the exam. She wouldn't be surprised.

"Are you sure you want to give up, Pinky?" Ibiki's voice woke Naruto up from her thoughts. She turned to see Sakura with her hand slightly raised.

"The fuck Sakura?!" she demanded.

"Quiet! If she wants to quit because she isn't ready, then she can. But know this Pinky. I can tell that your team will not be very happy with you if they have to wait till the next exam. Are you sure you want to risk it?"

"But, but, I just don't want his dream to be over!" Sakura shouted pointing at the blonde.

Naruto looked at Ibiki with pleading eyes. The man sighed, "You have one chance to get her to stop. Any more talking after that,and I'll take points off your test."

Naruto turned to the girl and laid into her, "Since when did I ask for your fucking help?! I'm facing this through to the end! I never go back on my word. That's my ninja way! How about you stop using me as an excuse and just admit that you're a scared pansy?!Besides, if we fail, there are ways to go up a rank without taking these exams. Like if we go to war, and someone shows exceptional quality as a ninja, they can be bumped up in rank. So don't use me as your shield. Face the real world, and deal with your fear!"

Sakura stared at her in shock. The snickers of her fellow shinobi causing her to put her head and hand down in shame. She was scared, and was just using Naruto as a reason to get out of the hard work ahead. It was shameful.

Ibiki watched the blonde with interest. Such an outburst, somehow made all of the remaining ninja want to stay. The kid didn't seem to have any self control, yet, it didn't seem like such a thing would help him. Maybe brash actions were his way of getting across to people.

When Pinky didn't make any attempt to move, he considered her answer to be, that she was staying. "Well, then. For the tenth question, I'm proud to say that you all pass!"

A moment of silence…...before it went to pot.

"WHAT?!"

"PASS?!"

Ibiki was smiling, like Naruto when she pulled off an epic prank. "You all passed!"

"What about the tenth question?!" Sakura screamed, finally pulling her head up from her desk.

"There wasn't one. This was designed to see if you all had the guts to stick out a difficult mission to the end. Even at the cost of never rising in rank. The first nine questions were to show us how well you'd do at gathering data. We even placed two Chunin, with all of the answers, among you. Then, we had to see if you had the guts to follow through to the end, no matter the consequences for failing," Ibiki was grinning widely.

The Genin that remained were all staring at him in silence. Not something he was expecting. Cheers, laughter even, but not silence. He was facing a room full of bored looking individuals. Awkward!

The silence dragged on, and Ibiki looked at the Chunin lining the walls. All of them were smiling at him and nodding their heads.

Before he could speak, the window exploded and he stepped back in order to avoid the purple and tan ball that flew through the new hole.

"Alright you maggots, listen up!"

Ibiki sighed as Anko introduced herself. He couldn't help feeling annoyed with her. The large hole in the wall was bigger than normal. How many years had she been using the same entry? How much money was she willing to waste in repairs, just so she could show off?

"You're early Anko," he told her.

The woman chuckled and surveyed the room, "Twenty six teams Ibiki? You're getting soft!"

"We have a more outstanding group this year," Ibiki smiled.

She shrugged, "Well, it doesn't matter to me. Half of them will be gone when I'm finished. I look forward to seeing who survives!"

The Genin all shivered. For some reason, Mitarashi Anko was scarier than the first proctor.

"Now! Follow me!"

The reluctant Genin stood, some wishing that they had given up. Naruto however, was excited. Nothing could ruin her mood. She was curious to see what lay ahead.

Ibiki Morino collected the tests for grading. It was true that they didn't help the Genin pass the first exam, but they did have purpose. Whoever passed the Second Exam, and the possible preliminaries, would have their tests to help them.

Whether or not you win the Chunin Exams doesn't guarantee you the rank of Chunin. Anyone who competes in the Third Exam, even though they lost their match, could pass. That was where the tests came into play. How the Genin acquired the information will be taken into account when Ibiki watches all of the video in the cameras stationed around the room.

This time, Ibiki was aware that three people didn't cheat. He was interested in seeing their scores.

The room was nice and quiet as he graded the papers. His silence was disrupted when Gai burst through the door with a cry of, "Dynamic Entry!"

Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai followed at a more leisurely pace.

"So, what's the damage?" Asuma asked, lighting a cigarette.

Ibiki sighed, "Even with two people in the crowd who knew all of the answers, it's still pretty bad. However, all of the Rookie Nine passed perfectly."

The Jonin all smiled, proud of their students.

"What really got me though, is that even though all of them passed, three actually did it on their own! No cheating involved. Pure intelligence." Ibiki picked up three papers and gave them an approving grin. "Sakura Haruno, Shikamaru Nara and Naruto Uzumaki, all have the intelligence required to be Chunin. I can't wait to see their abilities. If they make it far enough, they will most likely be Chunin when this is over," Ibiki smiled.

Kakashi and Asuma smiled wider. They each had smart students who wouldn't resort to cheating. It was rare for anyone to enter the First Exam and get all of the answers correct without cheating. In fact, the last person to do so was Itachi Uchiha, and before him, Kakashi himself. This would go down in the record books!

Ibiki gazed outside, the hole providing him with nice view of the sunset. The Chunin Exams would prove to be great this time around.

He leaned back in his chair, a smile on his face. They sure would.

**A/N: Okay, another chapter out of the way!**

**The 40th reviewer will have the next chapter dedicated to them!**

**Who Naruto should end up with(Your votes):**

**1. Shikamaru- 4**

**2. Gaara- 4**

**3. Sasuke- 3**

**4. Hinata- 2**

**5. Kiba- 1**

**6. Shino- 1**

**7. Neji- 1**

**Now, I personally wanted either Gaara or Shikamaru, but this is a vote between you guys. I have no voting power.**

***Leave who you want Naruto to be with in your review. This will go on for a while, until the story escalates to the love part. Each of the above characters though, will be getting closer to Naruto, until another person is added to the list.***

**Please review! :D**

**Ja ne!**


	3. The Forest Challenge!

**A/N: Hello people!**

**This chapter is dedicated to; Secret Lullaby of Death(40th reviewer), Apollymi28(50th reviewer), OrangeLamb(60th reviewer), World(80th reviewer), Kitty cat123(130th reviewer), Moon Dancer(140th reviewer), Deathishere(150th reviewer), Never Say no(160th reviewer)! Please put at least give yourself a name if you are a guest reviewer so I can dedicate the chapters properly! Thank you!**

**The last chapter took me from 30 reviews to 161 reviews! Thank you all!**

**All mistakes are my own, because I have no beta for this story.**

**Thank you for reading! I pulled out this chapter in one day, for you all!**

***Just so you know I added a few things and changed other things in order for them to fit my purpose. Don't hate me! The scrolls being a major change. Just a warning.***

**Enjoy! :D**

Naruto stood outside the large forest. The Anko woman gave them a night to be all ready for their next Exam. Maybe they were going to do an obstacle course.

Once again, she was the first person from her team to arrive. Actually, she was first person to arrive period. It was half an hour before the Suna team appeared. She nodded to them and continued to wait.

Sasuke showed up a couple minutes later. He was shocked to see that Naruto was there before him. Sakura came along ten minutes after her crush, and the three of them sat in silence, waiting for the other Genin to arrive.

When everyone assembled together, Anko held out two scrolls. "This is a survival test! You will go into the forest. There is a tower directly in the center, an equal ground of ten kilometers from every gate. You have five days to get there!"

The Genin all nodded. It didn't seem like something so hard.

"You will also have to collect a Heaven scroll and and Earth scroll on the way! Each team will be given one scroll, and it's your job to get the other one. This exam is designed to test your endurance and survival skills behind enemy lines. It is also meant to cut the number of contestants in half!" Anko smiled.

"Why?!" someone in the crowd on Genin shouted.

The womans mouth quirked upward, "Do you know what we call this place?"

They all shook their heads.

"We call it The Forest of Death!"

Everyone shivered. It was official. People were going to die in this exam.

Anko stepped forward and handed Naruto a stack of papers, "Pass these around would you?"

She did as ordered and finally someone asked what they were for.

"Well, these are waivers, that all of you will read and sign. The death rate is high, and this ensures that Konoha will not be held responsible for anyone dying," Anko explained. She spoke as if everyone was going to die with no chance of escape.

Once all of the papers were collected, they were all told to wait while the officials set up a stand to give each of the teams their scrolls.

"Also, don't open your scrolls in the forest."

"Why not!" someone yelled.

Anko smirked, "Trust me, you..don't..want..to..find..out!"

Anko moved her arm and Naruto stepped aside. A kunia flew past her head and she turned, pressing her own kunai against the examiners throat.

Anko looked at her in shock, "How did you do that?"

"I paid attention," was the cryptic answer she was rewarded with.

Anko stiffened when a creepy looking woman handed her her discarded kunai, with her long tongue! The blade was dangerously close to Anko's neck. "Thank you miss Grass Ninja. But sneak up on me like that again, and you won't have a tongue anymore," the purple haired woman threatened with smile.

"Sorry, I was just returning this to you," the strange ninja smiled, before excusing herself.

Anko patted Naruto's head as she moved away, "Make sure you don't die in their kid."

Naruto shook her head. The woman was crazy!

Team seven was called into the booth that the officials set up so they could get their scroll. It was a Heaven scroll, and Naruto took easy notice of the black markings wrapped around the cylindrical part.

When her team left the booth, she pulled them over to a shady tree and had them gather close. "I noticed something," she told them.

"Kabuto pretty much told everyone in the Chunin Exams my life story. Or half of it at least. I _am_ very skilled in Fuinjutsu, like he said, and I think you guys should know. The makings for a seal are on the scrolls," she explained.

They gave her an odd look, obviously not getting it. She sighed.

"There are all kinds of seals out there. To make a seal, you need to go through a system. Every seal is broken up into parts. Some have only two, while the most complex seals can have up to a hundred parts. All of the parts together make a seal. Just one part by itself though, is nothing without the rest. Do you understand this much?" Naruto looked at them. Sasuke seemed to be getting it, but Sakura still looked confused.

"Think of it like this. To use ice style jutsu, you need water and wind affinity. You can't make ice with just water, you need wind too, and vice versa. Seals are the same way. You need all the parts together to make a seal, just like you need water and wind to make ice," Naruto said.

Sakura's eyes brightened, "Oh! So they're useless on their own until you put them together!"

Naruto nodded and continued, "The Heaven and Earth scrolls each have parts of a seal on them. It's a simple seal that is only made up of two parts, and therefore easily split apart. By themselves, the parts are nothing, but if you laid one of the scrolls on top of the other after opening both, they will combine and create a seal. It is a Reverse Summoning Seal. Meaning someone will show up when we open them."

"But we were told not to open them!" Sakura folded her arms.

Naruto was surprised to see Sasuke smack his forehead. "We were told not to open them in the forest! They said nothing about the tower when we finally get there," the Uchiha told her.

"Exactly. When we get there, we'll open them," Naruto nodded and smiled, glad that Sasuke was on the ball.

"You're so smart Sasuke!" Sakura's loud squeal could've broken glass.

"I didn't really do anything Sakura. Most of it was Naruto," the emo like boy sighed, no doubt annoyed with the pinkette.

"Oh you're being too modest Sasuke! You probably taught Naruto all of that stuff!" the girl laughed, patting Sasuke's arm affectionately.

She received a glare from the Uchiha and the Uzumaki. Sasuke frowned, "I know nothing about seals Sakura. How about you get your eyes off of me and pay attention to someone else for once. You're so annoying."

The girl looked down, her heart seemingly crushed. Naruto flashed Sasuke a small smile and mouthed the words, 'Thank you'. He nodded and the both of them looked away.

Sakura, never one to let her depression get her, was up once more, "How can you tell what kind of seal there will be? There isn't much for us to see you know?"

Naruto fixed her with a bland look, "Who is the one that knows about seals?"

"You."

"Exactly, so don't question me," Naruto then looked to Sasuke. "Now, I can make hundreds of Shadow Clones. I think that as soon as we get into the forest, we should find a place to hide, and I'll make some. Some will transform into you guys and then they will spread out. Hopefully they can find out who has the scroll we need, so that we don't have to do any unnecessary running."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. Sakura of course didn't get it and opened her mouth, "Why are you listening to him? What does he know?"

"Shadow Clones are different than regular clones. They evenly divide up someones chakra through however many you make, making it hard to tell if they are a clone or the original. They are also used for reconnaissance because any information they learn or experience they have, returns to the original person. It's an easy way to gain information," Naruto shot her a dark look, not appreciating how Sakura spoke about her.

Saukra pouted.

"Alright midgets! Get to your gates!" Anko yelled, making everyone flinch.

Team seven approached gate number twelve. In moments the ultimate survival test would begin. There would be danger around every corner. With days getting longer and the nights getting shorter, there would be little time for rest.

The man guarding their gate looked at his watch. He turned and opened it, moving aside fast enough to avoid Team seven who rushed in.

In the cover of one of the larger trees, the three stopped and hid. Naruto then created thirty shadow clones, having two thirds of them transform to look like Sasuke and Sakura. Then, she sent them out to go and find other teams.

"We should get going. The closer we get to the tower the closer we are to finishing this exam," Sasuke stood, making sure that his team followed.

Sakura squealed something about Sasuke being an awesome leader and Naruto had to hold herself back from hitting the girl. She had to be the most ridiculous excuse for a kunoichi ever! Hell! She spent more time on her hair than she did training!

They ran for quite a while, jumping through the trees before something shook the forest. This caused their landing to be shaky. Sakura and Naruto lost their grip and plunged to the ground. Sasuke was able to catch Sakura but a large gust of wind came and blew Naruto away.

"Naruto!"

Naruto awoke the sound of hissing. _Please don't be what I think it is!_

She looked up, and was greeted with the sight of an enormous snake! _Oh FUCK!_

Naruto jumped when the snake lunged. Unfortunately, it was fast, even though it was so large. Naruto's world darkened slightly, and she found herself squished in between something wet and slimy.

_Oh gross! I got swallowed by a snake!_ She tried to wiggle around, but the area became more packed in and tighter. _Naruto Uzumaki, taken down by a Python the size of the academy! What a way to go!_

Naruto started to feel a weird tingling in her legs. _What is that?!_

_**Kit! You're in the stomach of an enormous snake. It is currently digesting you! I suggest you get out of there!**_ Kurama informed her.

_Easy for you to say! I can't move!_

_**All you need to do is make one hand sign. **_

_What?! How is that going to help me?!_

Kurama sighed, _**Shadow Clones Kit! Give the snake indigestion!**_

Naruto felt like smiling. Why hadn't she thought of that? She forced her hands together and gathered her chakra. Next thing she knew, she was breathing fresh air once more. Her surrounding covered in snake guts.

_Ugh! I can't believe I lost it like that!_

_**In defense, you'd never been swallowed by a large animal before.**_

_So! I still shouldn't have let my emotions rule me! Jeez! I'm amazing in strength and intelligence, but my emotions totally get in the way! I'm going to be killed one day all because I can't control myself!_

Kurama was silent for a minute, _**At least it proves that you're still human. Being amazing at everything is too boring. Everyone has to have something to oppose their 'perfection'. Take the Uchiha for an example. He's powerful and smart, but his attitude makes sure that he is in no way considered perfect, even if his leagues of fans think he is.**_

Kurama had point. She couldn't be expected to know everything, otherwise, people would lose interest in her. _That makes sense. Like how I suck at Genjutsu, so I learned Kenjutsu instead! _

_**Precisely!**_

With her reassuring pep talk out of the was, Naruto headed off in the direction the weird grooves in the ground came from. She was sure that they came from the odd wind that knocked her so far away from her team.

The run wasn't that long, and she was glad to see her team. The problem, was, they were facing that freaky Grass ninja that gave Anko back her kunai. That long tongue was waving about, and Naruto shuddered in disgust.

Sakura and Sasuke were far away from each other, and Sasuke looked like he'd been through hell. The foreign ninja's neck grew to a ridiculous length, and shot toward Sasuke, who was still standing in the same spot.

Naruto could tell he was afraid. His body was trembling, worse than when they faced Zabuza. He cried out in pain as the strange woman bit him on the shoulder. A blaze of purple erupted from the wound before than woman retreated slightly.

Sasuke collapsed and Naruto took the chance to attack. Her hands moved through the signs like lightening. "Demonic Fox Style: Unholy Flames!"

The woman couldn't move and took full brunt of the attack. The black fire covering the immediate area. Naruto rushed in and heaved Sasuke over her shoulder, and deposited him at Sakura's side. "Watch him."

She returned her attention to the woman whose body was on fire. Yet, she seemed to be laughing. She made a hand sign and the flames surrounding her dispersed. He skin was charred, and looked to be tearing off, revealing perfect skin underneath. Like a snake shedding its skin.

"Well well. That's quite the dangerous jutsu you have there. You might actually be a challenge, fox boy," the ninja smiled, tearing the burnt skin off and tossing it away. Purple rimmed gold eyes glowed eerily.

Naruto frowned and made a sign, "Demonic Fox Style: Raging Furnace!"

The area, which was already lit on fire, burned hotter! The flames rose and closed the two ninja inside, finished the second part of the Demonic Fox attack. There was no way to escape, and Naruto formed the final hand sign, "Demonic Fox Style: Burning Judgment!"

The women's laughter paused. She quickly made a hand sign and began to sink into the fire beneath her. "I will meet you again, young one. You may actually hold promise," she smiled.

Once her head was gone, Naruto cancelled the jutsu's and moved over to Sakura, who was trying to wake Sasuke up.

She pulled on his shirt, revealing something dreadful. A cursed mark!

"Shit!" she swore.

"Naruto what is it?! What did she do to Sasuke?!" Sakura panicked, crying loudly.

"No time! We need to hide, now! Follow me!" Naruto slung Sasuke over her shoulder. grunting in the process. He was heavy!

Sakura followed obediently, trying to calm down.

They found shelter in the hollow of a large tree. Naruto placed Sasuke on the ground and used a kunai to shred his shirts collar. The Cursed Mark was pulsing, and spreading.

"Okay Sakura, this is called a Cursed Seal. They are evil gatherings of chakra that make the bearer subservient to the one who cursed them. This is a more complex seal as it seems to react strongly to emotion. Currently, it's trying to take over Sasuke's mind and body. While it will give him power, it'll also cause him unbearable amounts of pain. I need to remove it, and I need you to guard the opening of the hollow while I work," Naruto locked her in the eye.

Sakura nodded, "I'll set up traps too. Just incase."

Naruto gave a small smile, "Good. Also know, that when I finish, I'll collapse from severe chakra depletion. It'll probably be three hours before I can more again. Can you keep watch for that long?"

The pinkette nodded and stood, "Do what you have to Naruto!"

Naruto set to work, making the needed hand signs. _Okay. All I have to do is erase one tomoe in order to stop the seal from working. Then I can actually remove it without a problem. Kurama! When the time comes, I'll need your chakra!_

_**I'll begin storing some away now!**_

She nodded and channelled her chakra directly into the seal. It reacted negatively and burned her hand. She kept still though. She had felt worse pain before, this was nothing!

She did feel bad for Sasuke though. He was screaming and writhing. It was scary to see someone who normally represented the untouchable, who can't seem to feel pain, crying out like he was.

The power began to weaken after a couple hours. Finally, one of the tomoe's couldn't handle the pressure from Naruto's chakra and cracked.

It disintegrated, and Naruto smirked. The hard part was over. _Kurama! I need chakra now!_

_**Right!**_

The rise in chakra made the area shake. Sasuke and Naruto were surrounded by orange chakra, that was spinning and swirling around them. With a push, Naruto forced Kurama's chakra into the seal, and watched in unveiled pleasure as the accursed marking disappeared.

Sasuke's screams died down, and Naruto sighed in relief when the seal was completely gone. It was done.

Her knees gave out, and her body hit the ground hard. _Thank goodness. I wonder why that woman put a cursed mark on him. _

The world fell into darkness and Naruto with it.

_**Well aren't you the little hero, saving your teammate like that!**_

_Shut up Kurama! You know as well as I that Cursed Seals are dangerous! If there was someone there who could've helped you twelve years, wouldn't you want them to help?_

Kurama laughed, _**You do have a good point Kit.**_

Naruto sat up. The inside of her mind was always, gross. It looked like sewer and smelled just as bad.

_**Well, you haven't lived in here for the past twelve years Kit. Think about how I feel.**_

_I wish there was a way to change it, but I don't have control over the seal._

Kurama sighed, _**You would have to remove the seal and replace it with one of your own making. One that allows us to merge without you losing your mind.**_

_I agree. That time in Wave was pathetic! I don't want to succumb to it like that ever again!_ Naruto walked into the cage and sat in front of Kurama. _Do you know what I have to do?_

The demon shrugged, tails twitching. _**I was never all that interested in seals. I'm a genius of course, but seals were never something I could bring myself to care enough about. Truthfully, you know more than I do in that department.**_

With a huff, Naruto folded her arms and scowled at him. _Aren't you a thousand years old? Shouldn't you know more than me?!_

_**No need to shout Kit, I'm right here. Anyway, I do know more than you. But when it comes to seals, I haven't slightest idea how to create them and such. Deciphering is fine, but creating is a whole other story.**_

Naruto looked around the damp room. Her new objective, was to remove the seal, and make a better one. One that would strengthen her bond with Kurama, and also pay him back for being kind to her over the years. He could've taken over and killed her, but instead, he guided her throughout the years, and was there for her when no one else was. She was grateful for it.

_**Think nothing of it Kit.**_

_That is the only thing that annoys me! I can't think in peace, because you always hear me and answer! Whether I'm talking to you or not!_

The great fox just smiled, _**Yet, you love me! **_

She didn't answer, but he already knew the was all she had for such a long time. It was no shock that their relationship was close.

_**Something is happening!**_

Naruto stood quickly, _What is it?_

_**The pink girl is in danger. She and a couple of others. You need to wake up.**_

_Well, gee. I'd love to, if I could!_

Kurama raised his fist, _**Take some of my power, otherwise we'll be dead in a few minutes!**_

Naruto sighed and bumped his fist with her own. She felt the vacuum power suck her out of her mindscape, and she awoke to a horrible sight.

Sakura and Rock Lee were laying on the ground, both looking terrible. Sakura's hair was ruined and sticking out is random directions. She noticed the Sound ninja that she had defended Kabuto from, was getting closer. What had happened?

She closed her eyes and waited for him to get within range. She could feel his anger, and she moved in time to dodge the foot aimed for her face.

"What?" he gasped.

She grabbed his leg and pulled him down. She rolled on top and pressed a kunai to his throat. "Do you want me to kill you?"

His eyes were round in shock. He shifted and Naruto stiffened. Was that?

"Dude gross!" she leaned back, and tried to move off of him. He grabbed the hand that was holding the kunai, and kept it angled away from him as he placed his other hand on her chest!

They sat frozen for a moment before he had to open his mouth, "You're a chick!"

Naruto saw red. How dare he touch her like that! _**Kit don't!**_

Kurama's warning didn't register in her mind, and she lost it! Her eyes bled crimson and she snarled at the male who dared to touch her in such a way!

Her hands locked around his own and she crushed them with all of her strength. His pain filled scream was music to her ears. "**How does it feel?!Does it hurt?**"

He shook his head and she laughed, moving her hands higher up his arms. The sickening crunch made her smile. "**I think you enjoy it! Why else would you be aroused?**"

He wiggled around, trying to get away, but she wasn't having it, "**Bad boy! We were just getting started!**"

_**Kit! You have to stop this! If you kill him, you're going to hate yourself!**_

_Why are you protecting him?! _Naruto was furious! Why was Kurama getting in the way of a perfectly good kill?

_**It's not for him that I intervene! You will feel terrible later on. Let him live, then maybe later on in the exams you can kill him, and be free from self hatred!**_

She sighed but nodded reluctantly. He had a good point. She didn't feel like having a guilty conscience. Especially over a prick.

She removed herself from his body and stood. Grabbing the collar of his shirt, she dragged him outside.

His teammates looked horrified when they saw her. With all of her strength, she threw their teammate at them. His body knocked into the other male and sent him flying into the girl. "You might want to take care of his arms. They seem to have gotten injured!" she smiled.

The two Sound ninja groaned and stood. The girl looked scared and the guy looked confused, "How?"

Naruto laughed, "Like I'd let that little pest hurt me!"

They stared at her for a few seconds before turning and leaving.

"You can come out now!" Naruto called out to the clearing.

Shikamaru, Ino and Choji came out of some bushes and Lee's teammates dropped down from the trees.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru, "What are you guys doing here?"

The lazy boy sighed, "Well, Choji saw that Sakura was in danger and that you and Sasuke weren't awake. We were waiting for Ino to decide whether or not to help. She wasn't doing anything and in order for any kind of defense, we would all need to be together for it to work, but she was taking her time."

Naruto rounded on Ino, "You really needed time to think about saving your friend? Are you really Sakura's friend then, if it took you so long to come up with an answer?"

The blonde looked down in shame. Naruto looked over to Lee. He was unconscious and she felt bad for him. He had come to Sakura's rescue even when her own 'friend' sat in the bushes wondering what to do.

She knelt down beside him and checked his wounds. His left eardrum was damaged severely. Suddenly, she was glad for reading that book on the basics of medical jutsu. She placed a hand over his ear and watched as the green glow repaired the injury.

"You are a true friend Lee," she whispered.

"Th-thank you," the boy groaned.

She patted his head, "No Lee. Thank _you_."

His teammates came over and she smiled slightly, "He'll need some rest. Other than that, he's fine."

They nodded and each grabbed one of Lee's arms, "Thanks."

Shikamaru had migrated to Sakura's side, "I can't believe she actually cut her own hair just to escape her enemy. Then attacked them like that!"

So that was what was wrong with her hair. Naruto felt a little pride. Sakura removed her favorite thing about herself. Her long hair that she spent so many years growing out in order to impress Sasuke, was mostly gone.

Even Sakura understood that your duty as a ninja came first. Before beauty and looks, life _itself_ came first. Maybe Sakura had grown and matured. Of course it took a serious beating to get to her, but Naruto had a feeling that what happened was going to change the girl, for the better.

Ino had yet to move from her place, and Naruto walked right by her. She didn't feel like wasting anymore time on the blonde.

Running a hand above Sakura's body, Naruto was able to access minimal damage. It was like she had just gotten through a bullying session. Nothing too bad, and nothing that would leave a scar. "You did good Sakura," she smiled. "I'm proud to call you a teammate."

Shikamaru and Choji moved off to the side and watched as Naruto took care of Sakura. He was very gentle in treating her, and they weren't all that shocked to see that he knew how to heal wounds.

"So, do you guys have all the scrolls you need?" Naruto asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Yeah, it was drag though," Shikamaru yawned.

She snorted, "Everything is a drag to you."

"Not everything," he mumbled, looking away.

When Choji gave him an odd look, he shrugged. "It's nothing," he smiled.

"Well, we still need to get our other scroll. When these two wake up, we'll be going," Naruto sighed.

Sasuke was still sleeping, and she began to shake him, "Come on emo boy. We have to get going soon."

He groaned and she huffed. She had half a mind to dump all the contents of her canteen on him. It would be funny to see him looking like a drowned rat, but he didn't deserve such a bad wake up call. Maybe later, when he wasn't getting over an ordeal, she would.

She grabbed his shoulders, "Come on! Wake up Sasuke!"

His eyes cracked open, and he groaned, "Hn."

_Even though he isn't feeling well, he still manages to sound normal. What the hell?!_ Naruto found herself wishing she could do that. Usually when she woke up, her voice was a cracked and pitchy. The bastard somehow was able to sound like he'd been awake for hours. _It must be an Uchiha thing. I read that Itachi was the same._

Shikamaru and Choji watched as Naruto proceeded to shake the hell out of Sasuke. Choji leaned into his friend and whispered, "I think he's secretly trying to kill him and then he's going to pass it off as too many injuries."

"Well, if that's the case, I didn't see anything. Getting called in for witnessing would be a drag," Shikamaru told him.

Choji gave his friend an odd look. "Are you-"

Shikamaru slapped a hand over Choji's mouth his eyes wide as he pointed over to Naruto. Choji looked and choked on his chips. Sasuke was holding Naruto in his arms, and was _kissing_ the blonde!

Naruto's arms flailed. _Ew!_ Finally she paused long enough to think, while at the same time, trying to stop Sasuke's tongue from entering her mouth.

She raised her hand, and smacked the back of his head.

He let go and she growled, "What the hell teme?!"

HIs glazed eyes widened. "You…...you aren't a girl," he finally said.

Although it was funny to watch the color flood his face, Naruto was ticked! "So you just go around kissing girls whenever you feel like it?!" she screamed.

"I thought I was dreaming dobe!"

"Dreaming about kissing me?!" Naruto shot back, with an irritated glare.

His pink face became a nice shade of red,"Shut up dobe!"

Shikamaru cut in in that moment, "Well Naruto, he was injured, and seeing a guy with long hair, leaning over you, when your vision is less than adequate, tends to make you think things." He pulled the blonde away, ignoring the dark look in the Uchiha's eyes. Was the boy jealous?

Shikamaru smirked and looped an arm around Naruto's shoulders, "Give him a break. Maybe he was dreaming about Ino saving him or something."

Naruto nodded slowly, "We both _are_ blue eyed blondes with long hair. Okay teme, you'll get away with it this time. But next time, you're losing something important."

Sasuke cringed and crossed his ankles, squeezing his legs together. Normally, a threat like that coming from Naruto wouldn't affect him, but then again, Naruto had been displaying unusual talents. Maybe the boy actually had the power to follow through with his words. Sasuke wasn't a fool to push the envelope. He didn't want to find out what Naruto was really capable of.

He watched as Shikamaru drew the boy closer, and wanted to growl. That was _his_ dobe the Nara was touching! How dare that boy think he could touch what didn't belong to him! And even insisted that Sasuke Uchiha was dreaming about Ino Yamanaka! Sasuke glared holes into the boys head, hoping that it would catch fire.

He was pleased when Naruto pulled away, and moved over to a blob of pink. _Sakura!_

Sasuke struggled to his feet, and hobbled over to her side, "What happened?"

Naruto sighed, "After I got blown away, you guys encountered a Grass ninja. She was really strong and put you down fast. I came in at the right time and was able to chase her off. Then I had to take you and Sakura to a safe place, because the woman had done something to you."

"What did she do?" Sasuke demanded. His Sharingan activated in the process, and he stared into Naruto's eyes, drawing the answer from the boy.

"She bit you, and gave you a cursed mark. They are very dangerous things that can cause bodily harm. Full of evil and bad energy. I had to get rid of the seal, so I used all of my chakra to break it. You and I were out of it for a few hours, and Sakura had to guard us. While we were out, the Sound ninja attacked, and she held them off. Then Rock Lee appeared and he helped her as well. I woke up in time to avoid an attack from that guy who had attacked Kabuto when we were in the exam room. I then proceeded to torture him for hurting Sakura and Lee so much, and I scared them all off." Naruto explained.

"Shikamaru said that his team was waiting on Ino, but she couldn't decide if she wanted to help or not, so they ended up watching. He said that Sakura cut off her hair, in order to escape from the enemy, and then attacked with everything she had. I'm very proud of her right now. We should thank her when she wakes up," Naruto gave him a look.

Sasuke looked at the girl in a new light. Maybe she wasn't as weak and useless as he had thought. Naruto was right though. She deserved their gratitude.

Naruto moved the pinkette onto her back and stood.,"If you get our things, I'll carry her. Most of my shadow clones dispersed, but one did so on it's own. Apparently, one of them got an Earth scroll, and is waiting with another clone by the tower for us."

"I forgot you did that," Sasuke murmured, gathering their things.

Naruto turned to team ten, "You guys might as well come with us. You have your scrolls, and we have ours, so we can just go together."

Shikamaru decided not to ask, and just nodded. Choji grabbed Ino's hand and the Genin all set off.

It did take as long as Naruto initially thought, and soon they were at the tower. "Thank goodness!" she smiled.

Inside the doorway, they found a wide room. Naruto's two clones were leaning against the wall, and dispersed when they saw her, leaving a scroll in their place. "Sasuke, open the scrolls now, and place them on top of each other."

Team ten watched in horror, "We were told not to open them!" Ino whined after hours of blissful silence.

"We couldn't open them in the forest. She said nothing about the tower. Open them," Naruto insisted.

Sasuke did as he was told, and smoke rose from the scrolls. A loud popping noise rang through the room. A silhouette in the rising smoke, told them a person.

Naruto's eyes grew wide as the smoke cleared, "Iruka sensei!"

Her favorite person in the world was standing right there! She made sure to put Sakura down gently, before launching herself at the man.

He laughed and swung her around, "I see you guys made it!"

He looked over at team ten, "I suggest you guys open your scrolls as well."

They did so, and their own sensei appeared before them.

"So why are you here sensei? Why did they give us scrolls that make reverse summoning seals?" Naruto asked, shocking the man.

She just gave him a smile, and he sighed. "Well…"

Team seven tuned him out. He went into a whole spiel about Heaven and Earth being mind and body. Naruto secretly thought that he just wanted to use the chance to teach them something again.

She cut him off with another hug, "Thanks Iruka sensei."

He paused and sighed, "You're welcome. Congratulations on passing the Second Exam!"

The two teams bade their sensei's farewell and moved through the double doors that lead to the next room.

"I'm going to find her a room," Naruto told them, motioning to Sakura.

"I'll come with you," Sasuke insisted, and waved at the others before following his blonde teammate.

**A/N: Hello people! **

**Who Naruto Should End Up With(Your Votes):**

**Gaara- 69**

**Shikamaru- 58**

**Hinata- 7**

**Sasuke- 5**

**Itachi- 2( Sasuke finally beat him in something! :D)**

**Neji- 2**

**Kiba- 2**

**Sasori- 1**

**Kiba- 1**

**Kakashi- 1**

**Shino- 1**

**A few more chapters and the voting will be over! Keep voting for your favorite pairing!**

***Are you Team Gaara, or Team Shikamaru? Let me know.***

**The others, will show interest in Naruto, but won't go far because they don't have enough votes. But! They will get a little bit of time to try and sway Naruto to their side!**

**See you all next chapter!**

**Ja ne! :D**


	4. Preliminary!

**A/N: Hello people!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Ezbabb (Guest) for being the 500th reviewer! Thank you!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**I have no beta for this story, all mistakes are my own.**

**Enjoy this extra long chapter! (By extra, I mean 4,000 words!)**

The tower was a lot larger than one would believe. When Naruto found a room for Sakura, she and Sasuke were told by a medic to go find their own rooms. The hallways were long, and all of the rooms were abnormally large. They decided on two rooms that were connected by a door. That way, they could get to the one another if need be.

Sasuke was pleased to be so close to Naruto. Especially when the Nara's team was on the _other_ side of the building. No one was coming around any time soon to take _his_ dobe away.

He and Naruto walked down to the cafeteria for what they were told, was dinner for the teams who already made it. The room was also very large, and Sasuke had to hold back a growl when Shikamaru waved Naruto over.

Naruto was oblivious to her teammate ire. She was thinking about getting food, and quite possibly seconds if they were allowed. Shikamaru insisted that she and Sasuke sit with his team. After a quick discussion about Sakura's state of health, Naruto got up to get some food.

Before she could get to the table of food, her way was blocked by a red head. Sabaku no Gaara was standing in her way with his arms crossed.

"Can I help you?" she asked, folding her arms as well.

The boys eyes widened and his chakra level increased. It wrapped around Naruto like a caress even though the boy looked ready to kill. "Mother wants your blood. I will kill you, and your blood will fill me and make me stronger!" he smiled insanely.

Naruto cocked a brow, "Is that so?" She reached forward and placed her hands on his shoulders. His eyes bugged at the action. "You can try to kill me, but I won't give up without a fight," she informed him, using her strength to bodily pick him up and move him to the side. She then continued to the table, and grabbed some food before she went to return to her companions.

A pale hand caught her arm and she turned to Gaara once more. "You touched me," he mumbled, eyes still wide.

"Uh….yeah?" she gave a confused look.

"The sand didn't try to kill you, or stop you," he continued on, ignoring her words. His face contorted into a dark grin, "You must be worthy to die by my hands if you can do that. You will make me feel alive," he whispered.

She threw him a look and sighed. Reaching out with her free hand, she tousled his hair, leaving him gaping, "Sure you will."

With that, she extricated herself from his grip and returned to her companions.

"What was that about?" Sasuke asked with tilt of his head.

She shrugged, "He was all like, 'Mother wants your blood' and 'I will kill you' and stuff. I think he needs some counselling."

_**He needs more than that Kit! **_Kurama informed her.

_What do you mean?_

_**That Gaara boy is Jinchuriki just like you. He hosts the Ichibi, Shukaku.**_

_Really? Is that why he's so…..nuts?_

_**Yes. Shukaku was never kind to his containers, and would drive them insane. The rings around the boys eyes show that he had severe insomnia, because of Shukaku. The hosts fear sleep, because their guard is down and their personalities can be devoured by Shukaku, eventually allowing him to take over permanently. So, due to horrible nightmares, Shukaku's vessels never sleep, and all turn out like that boy did.**_

Naruto watched the red head as he glared at his teammates. The way the two flinched when he looked at them spoke volumes. They knew what he was and were terrified of him. If their reaction to his presence the other day, told her anything, they would gladly get rid of him if they could.

She frowned at the revelation. So Gaara grew up similar to how she grew up. She could guess though that he didn't have any friends, otherwise he would've turned out like her instead of a maniac hell bent on killing everyone in his way.

The boy didn't just need counselling, he needed a friend, in the worst possible way.

_So what should I do?_ she asked Kurama.

_**Shukaku isn't a very accepting spirit. He will not take to you and will convince the boy that you are bad. If what I think is correct, Garra will be impossible to reach, even for you Kit.**_

_What do you think?_

_**The boy refers to Shukaku as 'mother'. He does whatever 'mother' wants, like a good boy. If 'mother' tells him to kill you he will, no questions asked.**_

Naruto sighed. Why did she have to attract all the broken people? And why did she feel that she had to help everyone? _It's those damn emotions again! Ugh!_

_**You're only human Kit! It's to be expected! Relax.**_

Naruto almost stuck her tongue out, but caught herself. It would look weird if she just randomly poked her tongue at someone. _Screw you Kurama!_

He loud laughter rang through her head, and she rolled her eyes. Stupid fox.

"I thought blondes were a drag, but maybe it's the red heads," Shikamaru sighed, shaking his head.

Choji was shoveling food into his mouth. "I'm so hungry! Are you going to eat that?" he asked Ino, who hadn't touched her plate. She pushed it toward him, and he gave a happy yell.

Sasuke leaned into Naruto and whispered, "What is wrong with her?"

Naruto smirked, "Does the Uchiha actually care about his number one fan?" She snickered when he glared.

Shikamaru groaned, "Naruto put her in her place and now she's gone all emo on us. Her attitude is such a drag."

Naruto ate her food, watching Ino closely. She didn't feel bad about what happened at all. Honestly, if someone has to think about whether or not to save their 'best friends' life, then they deserve to feel bad. A true friend would do it, and not care if they could get killed.

Once she finished, Naruto moved to get some more food. When she gathered all the food she wanted, something brushed against her collarbone. Looking down, she saw sand covering her skin. She pulled her coat a bit trying to shake it off, but nothing happened. More sand appeared, running over her shoulders and circling her neck. The sand hardened into something and she left the room, to go find out what it was.

In her rooms bathroom was a large mirror, and she gaped at herself. There was a blood red collar around her neck! It even smelled like blood too!

_That little prick!_

Kurama was laughing again. _**It looks like he's trying to mark you Kit!**_

_Mark me for what?!_

_**It's symbol showing that you belong to him. Maybe Shukaku won't have him kill you after all!**_

Naruto stormed out of her room and down the hall. When she walked into the cafeteria, her eyes locked onto sea foam green ones. She stomped over to him and grabbed a fistful of his clothing, pulling him in close.

"Who do you think you are?" she growled.

He was smirking! "You are mine to kill. You will remember this," he stated with a shrug.

"I'm going to show my fist down your throat if you don't get this thing off me," she glared.

His right hand latched onto her hair, and the other grabbed the hand holding his clothes. "What is the little vixen going to do to me?"

Her mouth dropped. He knew?! _How does he know?!_

_**Shukaku probably told him. **_

"If you try anything, I will end you," she glowered at him, ripping herself from his grip.

"Maybe I won't kill you, "he murmured with a smirk.

She glared, _What's that supposed to mean?!_

_**I'm not telling!**_

"Asshole!" she screamed at both of them.

She stalked over to her table and plopped down.

"What...was that….about?" Choji asked between bites.

"Oh nothing. I'm just going to shove a rotating kunai up the bastards ass!" Naruto fumed. _And to think I was considering befriending him! Prick!_

Everyone leaned away from the blonde. She threw them all a strained smile and gave a nervous laugh.

Choji's growling stomach interrupted the awkward silence, and the boys burst into laughter, Naruto joining in. "I'm hungry!" the Akimichi complained patting his belly.

"Yahoo! Was that an earthquake I just heard?!"

Everyone turned to face team eight. Kiba was in front, grinning widely.

"Shut up Kiba!" Choji yelled.

The Inuzuka laughed and walked over, his eyes on Naruto. "Hey Naruto, glad to see you made it!"

Sasuke watched the Inuzuka through slitted eyes. The mutt was acting just like Shikamaru. Even down to the throwing an arm around _his_ dobe's shoulders. Why was everyone touching Naruto?!

Naruto gave Kiba an odd look. "Uh, thanks man."

Choji got up to get more food and Naruto followed, hoping to get her plate that she had left behind.

Kiba followed and leaned in close to Naruto, "So why's a foxy little thing like you pretending to be a girl?" he asked in a low murmur.

_What?!_ Her face contorted into shock. _Does he know?!_

_**No way! He isn't the brightest of the bunch you know. I think he's just hitting on you.**_ Kurama told her.

"Uh…...reasons?" she answered.

"You seem a little uncertain. Care to tell me why?" Kiba asked leaning in closer. A devilish smile appeared on his face.

_He really __**is**_ _trying to flirt!_

It was at that moment that a hand reached between them to grab a tomato from the food table. They both looked up to see Sasuke taking a bite out of the fruit. "Come on dobe, I can hear your stomach from all the way over there," he smirked.

"Shut up teme. That was Choji," she sneered.

A loud grumble made her blush and look away, "That time it was me though."

As they walked back to their table, Sasuke threw Kiba a victorious smirk over his shoulder. _Take that mutt! _

Kiba growled at the interfering Uchiha. How dare he come between an Inuzuka and his chosen female!

Akamaru whimpered again, and Kiba had to calm himself down. "Sorry boy," he sighed, patting the pups head.

Not long after team eight arrived, Rock Lee's team walked in. Lee was looking a lot better than before and Naruto sighed in relief.

"Naruto!" the boy yelled, running over. "How is Sakura?"

"Sleeping. Second floor, last door on the right," she told him. He bowed and left quickly.

Kiba returned to the table with a plate full of food, "What was that about?"

"We got separated in the forest and when I returned, I was able to chase off a Grass ninja who had hurt Sasuke. The things she did that I had to fix, were things that only a Jonin could do. There's no way that she was a Genin," Naruto explained, eating some rice.

"Sakura had to guard us after I fixed Sasuke. While we were unconscious, the Sound ninja from the First Exam attacked. Rock Lee appeared, and defended Sakura for a while, but soon, both were taken out quickly. I awoke in time avoid a kick aimed for my face and ended up breaking the guys arms when he got a little too close for comfort," Naruto continued, frowning a the memory. _Creep!_

"I got them to leave, and then Shikamaru, Choji, Ino, TenTen and Neji showed up. Neji and TenTen took Lee away after I fixed his major injury, and Shikamaru explained some of what happened," she looked at the lazy ninja and he sighed.

"Choji spotted team seven and the Lee kid, so we decided to get closer to see what was going Sound ninja cornered Sakura, and the female, was holding her up by her hair. The ninja that Naruto took care of, was talking about killing Naruto and Sasuke, and making Sakura watch," he shivered at the thought. It was disgusting!

"Sakura grabbed her last kunai…..and cut off her hair. She proceeded to fight with all she had. Choji and I were waiting on Ino, who couldn't decide if she wanted help or not. Just when it got bad, Naruto woke up and scared them off," Shikamaru smiled a little.

Kiba gave a loud whistle, "Does Lee like Sakura or something?'

Naruto nodded adamantly, "He asked her out before the beginning of the First Exam and claimed undying love for her!" She leaned in, "I really think he meant it. He nearly died and it was all to protect her."

Sasuke noticed her smile, "What are you so happy about dobe?"

"I just think it's terribly romantic in a way," Naruto mumbled, looking at the doorway that Lee left through.

When Sasuke snorted, she fixed him with a glare, "What do _you_ find so funny teme?"

"You sounded so feminine right now. 'Romantic'," the Uchiha laughed.

She elbowed him in the gut, "I would like to have a romantic relationship with my spouse one day."

Kiba noticed how she didn't say wife. Even though she was a girl pretending to be a guy, she still wanted what other girls craved. Love and attention. He smirked. The Inuzuka were _all_ about love and attention!

Shikamaru noticed the same thing. Naruto opted for the word 'spouse' instead of wife. Could that mean that Naruto wasn't heterosexual?

Shikamaru was intrigued even more. The thought of Naruto being Homo, Bi or even Pansexual wasn't disturbing in the least. In fact, Naruto was attractive and had a good personality, which made him easy to fall for. Whether someone was a female or not didn't matter if you were talking about Naruto.

Shikamaru liked Naruto. He liked another guy and was completely fine with it. _Oh well. Dwelling on it would be a drag._

Sasuke was on somewhat of a same page as the other two, but he took it the wrong way. _He didn't specify, and just said spouse! He must be gay! That comment about not wanting girls to chase after him proves it! He's more than just my dobe, he's just __**mine**__!_

Sasuke smirked to himself. This was going to be easier than he thought!

Naruto and Choji each got up to get more food, and soon they were having a competition to see who could eat the most. Naruto was losing terribly, until the cooks put out ramen. Then her hunger returned full force and she devoured ten bowls after eating four plates of regular food, and beat Choji by one serving.

Kiba was watching her, "How do you manage to pack so much food into such a tiny body?"

Hinata giggled, "Naruto can eat anything!"

Naruto blushed slightly, "Not anything! I really hate vegetables!"

Shino, who had remained quiet up until that point, entered the conversation. "It would be better for your health if you had a more appropriate diet. Nutrition keeps the brain functioning correctly. Malnourishment can stunt things, like growth for example," he deadpanned.

Everyone snickered at Naruto who gave them all the bird. "I'm not short!"

Later, Naruto found Sasuke in the training ground below the building. It was meant for them to practice their jutsu and strategy. Shino had followed and caught her before she could join him.

"I _am_ curious about how you can eat so much and not gain weight. I know that females have slower metabolisms than males do," he stated.

Her mouth dropped, "You know?"

"My kikaichu told me a long time ago and I always wondered how you could fool everyone so well. Or eat so much without any issues," the bug user shrugged.

"You aren't going to tell anyone are you?" she looked at him with wide eyes.

He shook his head, "It is not my secret to tell. Besides, I find it humorous to see how everyone is reacting to you, even though they don't know."

She threw him a confused look. _What does that mean?_

_**He's a lot smarter than he leads on!**_

_What are you talking about?_

_**You wouldn't understand Kit. Just continue as you were.**_

She shrugged, "Okay then. Thanks."

As she and Sasuke sparred, Shino watched from a safe distance. The explosions from the area, attracted everyone else's attention, and soon, they had to stop giving it their all in order to keep the others in the dark.

Showing your best abilities to someone who might end up being your opponent, wasn't smart. Shino was smart and knew that he didn't match either of them, so he was okay, but the others, well, they weren't about to risk it.

Hinata and Naruto went off to spar where no one would see, Naruto's room. "You need to be more ferocious. What if you get matched against Sasuke or your annoying cousin? You can't hold back, especially with them. I trained you to fight like a pro and I expect good results!" she scolded, delivering a kick to the Hyuga's face.

Hinata dodged and countered with an elbow to the stomach.

"Okay! That's better!"

"Are you sure we'll have to fight?" Hinata asked in worry.

"The Third Exam is always a battle round. I know this from reading about it once. We need to prepare to shock the hell out of people. Again!" NAruto explained, siming a punch to the girls head.

"Okay!" Hinata smiled and dodged again, using the same move once more.

A few days later, all the Genin were ordered to meet in the main hall. Naruto was proud that all of the Rookie Nine had made it through the Second Exam. Then, there was Kabuto's team and Neji's team. This ensured that most of the ninja remaining were from Konoha. There was also the Suna ninja, the Oto ninja, and a group from Iwa that Naruto never noticed before.

"Alright you maggots! Lord Hokage is going to explain the next test! Listen up!" Anko, who was standing not too far away ordered.

The Jonin who had assembled stood behind her, watching their students. The Hokage was smiling at them all. "Congratulations on passing the Second Exam!" he told them.

Naruto was busy checking out the remaining competition. The only people she felt she would have to watch out for, were Neji and Gaara. The others would never provide any kind of challenge. Personally, Naruto wanted to kick Neji's ass for how he's been treating Hinata her whole life. Maybe that opportunity would present itself.

A man appeared before the Hokage on a bended knee, "Please Lord Hokage. Allow me, Hayate Gekko, proctor of the Third Exam, to speak?"

Naruto smiled widely when she saw him, "So he's the Third Exam proctor. Nice."

"You know him?" Sasuke asked with a raised brow.

"Yeah, he's the best Kenjutsu specialist in the village. He's also a very experienced tracker ninja. He taught me the way of the sword a couple years ago when he saw me practicing one day. He's a Tokubetsu Jonin and is not to be taken lightly," Naruto told him with a smile.

"Where do you keep the sword?" he asked.

She held out her left palm, and looking closer, he noticed the seal on it.

"I modified the standard Containment Seal, allowing it to be placed on the skin. This way, I really _can_ have hidden weapons that no one knows about. Say you're abducted by enemy ninja, and they think that they've taken all of your weapons. You still have a chance with something like this on your person," she smiled fondly at the marking.

Sasuke gave her a strange look before shaking his head and returning his gaze to the proctor.

"I am Hayate Gekko, your proctor for the next exam. Unfortunately, there are too many ninja left to compete in the third round, so we will be holding a preliminary, right now," he explained, then erupted in a fit of coughs.

"What?!" Kiba shouted in anger.

"That's the way it is. As I can see, some of you are in perfect health, so you can't complain," Hayate coughed, throwing the Inuzuka a glare.

"If anyone wishes to back out right now, you may do so," he added with another cough.

"I'm out!"

Naruto looked over at Kabuto. If he quit like that before, there was no wonder to why he failed so much.

Another ninja, one of the Iwa, quit as well.

Hayate nodded and coughed again. "The screens above will randomly select opponents. Everyone else will vacate the area, and move to either side of the room," he told them.

The screens ran through the list of names, before stopping.

Sasuke smirked. _They didn't waste any time!_

Naruto touched his shoulder, "Kick his ass teme!"

Sasuke nodded, "You know I will."

Kakashi leaned into Sasuke a bit and whispered, "Don't use your Sharingan or that mark could kill you."

Sasuke gave him an odd look, "You know about _that_, but you don't know that Naruto got rid of it?"

Kakashi was stunned into silence, and Sasuke took the chance to slip from his hold, and approach his opponent.

Naruto and Sakura waited for Kakashi, at the top of the stands, or whatever they were. Both were excited to see Sasuke's match. Sakura had woken up the previous day, and when she saw Naruto, she tackled the blonde, repeatedly thanking her for saving Sasuke. When Naruto told her that Lee had frequented her room often to make sure she was okay, the girl blushed and asked where he was so she could thank him as well.

Lee's blush, when Sakura hugged him in thanks, was something else. Naruto couldn't help but tease them, which got Sakura mad enough to throw a punch and scream about not insulting Lee. She countered with a smile, saying that Lee seemed happy about it.

"So how are you two?" Kakashi asked as he walked up. Sasuke started his match against the Akado guy.

Both smiled at him. "Good."

"Care to tell me what happened in the forest?" he asked watching their reactions.

The Genin glanced at each other and then their sensei. "Some fighting, and running and other stuff," Naruto shrugged.

"I for one, would love to hear how you removed the mark from Sasuke, Naruto," Kakashi nearly snorted when his students blanched.

"Well, you see, I'm really into seals and stuff, so I knew what to do to get rid of it," Naruto shrugged, hoping he'd drop it.

"Since when do you know about seals?" Kakashi asked, putting his book away.

She sighed in annoyance, "You weren't there during the First Exam to hear Kabuto tell the world about me. Fuinjutsu is my thing. Right after that, is Kenjutsu, which Hayate over there taught me." She gave him a look, "I realized some time in Wave that pretending wasn't going to help my career as a ninja, and I decided to stop acting like an idiot. I applied some _extra_ chakra to the seal after breaking down part of it, and the rest was easy. The Hokage knows about all of this, so I didn't hide anything from him. Sorry that I didn't tell you, but, I didn't think I should." She shrugged as if it was nothing and watched Sasuke use his Sharingan against Kabuto's teammate.

Kakashi knew what the 'extra' chakra was. Naruto knew about the Kyuubi, and even more shocking, he could use the demon's chakra to such a high extent! "You really know how to utilize seals?" he asked with skeptical tilt of his head.

Naruto gave him the, 'you're a retard' look. She held out her palm for him to see her Containment Seal. "I made this after a little tweaking, so that I can hide weapons where no one would think," she told him, activating it.

The marking glowed white and Kakashi watched in fascination as something began to rise from his students hand. Naruto gripped it and pulled, unsheathing a large sword.

Sakura gasped.

"Where did you think I hid the sword?" Naruto asked her with a snicker, placing the sword back in its sheath. The seal glowed white once more, before settling back to black.

"Hayate really taught you?"

"Mhmm. He was awesome! Tough, but awesome! When it comes to Kenjutsu, he's very serious and doesn't take anything lightly. He drilled the Crescent Moon Dance into my head. He figured that since I could do shadow clones so well, it would benefit me in a way later on," Naruto grinned fondly at her once sensei.

Hayate returned the grin before throwing an arm up, "Winner, Sasuke Uchiha!"

Sakura was screaming in excitement and Ino was cheering on loudly, finally over her, 'woe is me' attitude.

"You went easy on him teme," Naruto accused with folded arms.

Sasuke shrugged, "He was weak."

"Tch."

Hayate announced the next match. "Will Zaku Abumi and Shino Aburame come down here?" he asked.

Naruto smirked when the Sound guy, whose arms she broke, leapt over the railing and walked up to Hayate. His arms were bandaged and he looked like shit.

She leaned over the railing and called down to Shino, "Hey Shino! Remember what we talked about the other day?!"

The boy tilted his head, sunglasses shining, showing her her own reflection. "He found out in a very disrespectful manner which lead to his arms being broken," she motioned to Zaku who started sweating when she looked at him. "Hit him for me!" she smirked.

The Aburame nodded and turned to his opponent. "If you fight me, I'll make sure that you never recover. Forfeit now, if you know what's good for you," he spoke in a eerie voice.

Zaku ripped an arm out of its sling and charged before Hayate could say 'start'. "I'll only need one arm in order to deal with you!" he yelled.

Shino lifted his right hand, stopping the Sound ninja's attack. "You couldn't defeat me, even if you used both arms," he taunted.

"Oh yeah?!"

Naruto snickered, "He's going to lose."

Kakashi leaned against the wall, "How can you be so sure?"

"Oh please! Shino's team got here way before we did! They've had the longest recuperative time than all of us. Not to mention that the Sound team just got here moments before the end of the Second Exam, so they are worn out. Besides, _I'm_ the one who broke his arms, so I know this guy has nothing on Shino," she told him with a smirk.

She watched as Shino was knocked over by the guys sound waves.

It was a shock to the others to see Shino get up as if nothing happened.

Zaku's face contorted into disgust, and Naruto knew that he saw the bugs coming out of Shino's body. Shino told him that having an ace in the hole was always the best way to go. A swarm of beetles came up behind Zaku and he looked ready to bolt.

Naruto snickered. "Looks like someone has a serious case of Entomophobia!" she sang.

Zaku pointed his arm at Shino and tried to use an attack. Something must have messed it up, because he screamed in pain before his arm exploded!

"He put some of his beetles on Zaku when he stopped the first punch! They in turn plugged up the hole, making sure his attack had nowhere to go! Therefore, he exploded!" Naruto laughed at Zaku's pain. She was even happier when Shino backhanded him, sending his body flying.

"Thanks Shino!"

The boy nodded his head in her direction while Hayate called the match, "Winner, Shino Aburame!"

Naruto turned to Kakashi and stuck her tongue out, "Told you!"

"Next match, Sabaku no Kankuro vs. Hinata Hyuga," Hayate coughed into his hand, motioning for the candidates to come down.

Naruto gave Hinata a thumbs up, "Take our training seriously. Don't go easy on him. He's older than you and of he can't handle a beating from a girl, then he's a wimp." She smiled when Hinata stood straighter and flipped over the railing.

"Really? You think you can handle me little girl?" Kankuro sneered.

Hinata frowned but nodded anyway.

He laughed at her, "How about I give you a free shot? Try and hurt me!"

Hinata turned to Naruto and she nodded. Taking it as being okay, the girl activated her Byakugan and flashed in front of Kankuro, delivering a hit to his chest. Kankuro doubled over and began spitting out blood.

"Well, shit! You may actually be a challenge," he coughed up more blood.

"Please forfeit, otherwise I won't be held responsible for what happens," Hinata asked in a serious tone.

Kankuro gripped the bandage on his shoulder, moving the bundle off his back. The bandaging unraveled, to reveal a puppet with bushy brown hair and three eyes.

"Not a chance!"

With a twitch of his fingers, the puppet was off, "Crow can take care of you!"

The mouth opened and senbon shot out. Hinata was quick on her feet, dodging every single one with ease.

Kankuro made a hand sign and the rain of senbon multiplied. Hinata paused before using her Rotation, blowing them away.

Kankuro cursed and moved his hands more and the puppet shot off toward Hinata. She planted her feet firmly and began to move her hands around her body. Blue wisps appeared, arcing and connecting to each other, creating a bluish netting.

Naruto smirked, "She perfected it!"

"Protective Eight Trigrams; Sixty-Four Palms!"

The puppet hit the netting and disintegrated upon contact, as a lightning like flash lit the room. Hinata, didn't take a break, and was off in Kankuro's direction. Her hands glowed blue as she delivered an open palm thrust to his chest, knocking him off his feet. The force was so powerful, that his body hit the ceiling before landing with a loud crash.

Hinata deactivated her Byakugan and stood, waiting for Hayate to call the match.

With his fingers pressed against the ninja's pulse, Hayate sighed, he was alive. "The winner is Hinata Hyuga!"

Hinata jumped up to Naruto's side and tackled her friend into a hug. Both girls landing on the floor. "I did it Naruto!" she squealed.

"I know! You finally got it down! But when?!" the blonde asked as she sat up.

"Well, I wanted to surprise you the next time we sparred, and I worked really hard on it," Hinata blushed, getting off her friend.

Kurenai, who had just gotten over her shock, approached the duo. "What do you mean 'next time we sparred'?" she asked.

Naruto grinned, "Well, I've been secretly training Hinata for the last two years, because her family is full of a bunch of pricks."

"Naruto!" scolded Hinata.

She waved the girl off. "Sorry Hinata, but you are the only person in your family that I think is worthy of my respect. Your head isn't shoved up your ass," she huffed. "Anyway, because they labeled Hinata as a worthless case, they didn't bother to teach her any more of their Taijutsu. So, I told her to watch her family members more closely when they spar and to take notes. Then she collected all the scrolls she could and I had her train on her own. She's still a little shy when she battles, but she's getting better, as you saw," she smiled.

Hinata blushed at the praise and looked away.

"We were able to take it farther and she developed her own version of the Eight Trigrams that can be used as a defense and an offense." Naruto grinned at the girl. "Now you need to make that one even better with One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms!" she winked.

Kurenai looked at Kakashi in shock. He shrugged his shoulders, "I have no idea."

Neji was listening in on the conversation and growled when the Uzumaki insulted the Hyuga family as a whole. How dare he! How dare he _help_ that failure of an heir.

Hayate shook his head as the medics carried Kankuro off. He looked to the screens that began choose the next contestants, "Will Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka step forward?"

Naruto stood, and patted Sakura's back, "Go whoop that cowards ass."

Sakura gave her a confused look, but nodded and jumped over the railing.

Shikamaru and Choji decided to venture over to Naruto's side. "I sure hope that Sakura can knock some sense into Ino," Choji said, stuffing his face with a bag of chips.

"Yeah, but seeing as how those two are so similar, there's bound to be drama, and _that_ is a drag!" Shikamaru groaned rolling his shoulders.

Asuma ambled on over, "Why do you want Sakura to knock Ino around?"

"Ino couldn't decide if she wanted to help Sakura or even _Sasuke _who were both in danger of dying, when we were in the forest. I put her in her place over it, and ever since, she's been all emo," Naruto told him.

Asuma nodded in understanding and joined Kakashi and Kurenai who were talking about their students.

"Anyone just as confused as I am?" he asked them.

They just looked at him. He laughed, "I'll take that as a yes."

The Genin all watched as Ino and Sakura argued with each other. Ino babbling about how if she won, she'd get Sasuke (to which said boy sneered in disgust) and Sakura saying she wanted her friend back.

Sakura made good use of the Clone Jutsu and landed a punch that sent Ino flying a good distance. Ino retaliated with her Mind Transfer Jutsu and Sakura's body slumped to the ground.

Naruto growled in annoyance. _I hate that stupid jutsu!_

Sakura stood slowly and raised her hand, "I, Sakura Haruno, would like to for-"

"Come Sakura!" Naruto screamed, making the girl freeze.

"Don't let that pansy beat you!"

Sakura grabbed her head and began screaming. Two different voices coming out her mouth. "NO!" "INO, YOU'RE GONNA BE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE IF YOU DON'T GET OUT OF ME NOW!"

Chakra covered Sakura's body before she made a hand sign, and it shot off toward Ino's slumped body. Once the girl regained her bearings, she shot Sakura a terrified look, "How can you have two spirits inside you? What are you?!"

Sakura panted for air, and smiled, "As a kid, I was bullied because of my hair and forehead. I went more than half my life without friends, and because of that, I developed a strong case of Multiple Personality Disorder. My other half doesn't like you, or me or anybody. If you hadn't left, she would've hurt you whether you're my friend or not. And you and I both know that if you get seriously injured whilst inside someone's elses mind, you could be left paralyzed or braindead."

Everyone was quiet.

"Well, that might explain why she's a bitch sometimes!" Naruto laughed.

"Naruto!" several people yelled at once.

She shrugged, "At least Sakura has a reason. What your excuse Ino?!"

The girl threw her a fierce glare and stood, feet wobbling. Sakura did the same and they ran at each other. Ino went to kick but Sakura dodged, bringing up her fist, and slamming it into Ino's jaw. Ino was sent flying into the wall, her body collapsed to the ground afterwards.

Sakura stood panting heavily, "I think I finally blossomed, pig."

With a hand pressed to her forehead, she sat down. "Winner is, Sakura Haruno!" Hayate called and Naruto cheered. Sasuke smirked and the others sighed in relief.

Asuma grabbed Ino and took her to the medical ward. Kakashi helped Sakura up and upon her request, put her next to Naruto. "You did great Sakura. I didn't know you can hit that hard," Naruto smiled.

"Well, I was adding chakra to my feet for more speed, and I figured, that if I added chakra to my punch, it would be stronger, and it was! I need to work on my chakra control though, seeing as I put too much chakra in," She sighed.

"You'll get it!" the blonde gave her a thumbs up and motioned to the screens.

"Sabaku no Temari and TenTen!" Hayate coughed.

The two girls faced each other and Shikamaru sighed, "Suna wins."

Naruto nodded, and everyone gasped, "Huh?!"

Shikamaru looked at Naruto, "I don't feel like explaining, you do it. This is payback from the other day."

Naruto sighed, "TenTen just threw some kunai that missed. I'm guessing that she's a weapons specialist. That isn't going to help her against a person like Temari with Wind affinity. People like Temari, Asuma sensei and I, are lighter on their feet, due to their chakra nature. While TenTen is giving herself distance to watch for sudden movements, she's also giving Temari the advantage needed to use that big fan of hers. Wind users can do any kind of distance battling, but with that fan, she'd needs mid or long range to be able to use it."

Everyone stared at her, but she ignored them, "Shikamaru was thinking along the lines of TenTen only knowing how to use weapons in a fight. She apparently can't do Taijutsu like Lee and she doesn't have a Doujutsu like Neji, so her fighting style relies solely on weaponry. But weapons won't always be there. She's going to lose for so many reasons."

"How do you know what chakra nature the Suna ninja has?" Kakashi asked, really shocked that Naruto came up with such a brilliant deduction.

"I have Wind nature as well, and I can see it surrounding her. She used wind to blur her form, and stop TenTen's kunai. That's what Wind users can do. If they have good control, they can even make a tornado just by focusing hard enough. No hand signs needed. _Her_ control is perfect. Also, the big fan on her back suggests something along the lines of wind jutsu," Naruto told him.

As if to prove her point, Temari unleashed a shout of, "Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

The Jonin sweatdropped "Okay, I get it."

TenTen was done for, and the match quickly ended, "Winner, Temari!"

TenTen was carted off to the infirmary, and Hayate announced the next match with a cough, "Shikamaru Nara and Tsuchi Kin, front and center!"

Naruto smirked, "Shikamaru has this in the bag!"

The Kin girl glared at her proclamation and she waved in fake joy, just to piss the girl off. It worked, and Naruto gladly received the middle finger that was thrown her way.

Shikamaru sighed. _Man I have to fight a girl! What a drag! _He watched the Sound ninja. In the forest, he didn't see her do anything special except hold Sakura by the hair. Maybe a little payback was in order. _It's drag to have to plan this, but fine. It's for a friend anyway._

He made a sign, "Shadow Possession Jutsu!"

Kin jumped away and laughed when the shadow stopped, unable to move any farther. "Too bad!" she taunted, and threw some senbon.

Shikamaru dodged, and they hit the wall behind him. The sound of bells began ringing in his ear. His vision became blurry, and all he could see was multiple Kin's holding more senbon.

The light reflected on something as more kunai shot at him. He blocked his face, taking them in the arm. He noticed the shiny thing again and realized that she was controlling the bell by using a very thin wire. Thin, but not thin enough. As she continued to throw senbon, he attached his shadow the the wire, letting it creep up on her.

Kin went to throw more senbon and froze. "I can't move!"

Shikamaru smirked, "Of course you can't. Shadow Possession Jutsu is a success!"

"How?!"

"Look at the wire you're holding. Strange how it can cast a shadow at such a height," Shikamaru smirked as the shadow grew bigger till both were connected completely.

"Uh! So I copy everything you do. So what?!" she sneered.

Shikamaru laughed, "Just some payback for a friend."

Naruto's laugh rang throughout the room, "Shikamaru you're great!"

Kin, along with everyone else, didn't understand what was so funny. "Just watch," she ordered with a devious grin.

Shikamaru tilted his head, and Kin did the same, her long hair flowing over her shoulders. He then made some weird movements like he was trying to grab for something. Kin mirrored his movements, except her hands were gathering all of her hair together.

The lazy Nara reached into his kunai holster, making sure to keep a good hold so that Kin wouldn't drop any hair. Everyone got what he was up to, and laughter filled the room.

Shikamaru dangled the kunai a bit before bringing it close to his head. Kin did the same, her face holding a look of pure terror. "NO!"

"Yes," he stated simply slicing the kunai through the air. Kin's hair fell to the ground and she let out a scream. Her remaining hair was uneven and standing in all directions.

Then, he aimed the kunai at her and she paled.

"You must be crazy! We'll both get hurt!" she cried.

Shikamaru let loose and bent backward when her kunai got close. Kin mimicked his movements perfectly, until her head slammed into the wall behind her. Shikamaru released his jutsu and her body fell to the ground in a heap.

Hayate gave him a questioning look and he shrugged, "She hurt a friend of mine, which resulted in her having to cut off most of her hair. I figured payback wouldn't hurt anyone. Anyone but her."

Hayate sighed, "Winner, Shikamaru Nara."

Shikamaru rolled his shoulders and sighed, "I had her from the beginning. When she jumped back the first time, she placed herself right where I wanted her. She lost track of her position on the battle field. She was so focused on bragging to me, that she didn't notice the wall behind her and Bang!"

Naruto grinned and gave him a thumbs up.

Sakura smiled, "Thank you, Shikamaru."

"It was for something good, so it wasn't that much of a drag," he shrugged it off, waving a hand at her.

Naruto stuck her tongue out at the unconscious Sound ninja. "Serves you right bitch!"

Her comment earned her a glare from the girls sensei, who seemed to be trying to light Naruto on fire with his anger. She stuck her tongue out at him as well, and shivered when he licked his lips. His long tongue reminding her of the Grass ninja! She shivered in disgust. _He's nasty!_

"Yahoo! Akamaru lets win this!" she looked at the monitor and frowned. She was up against Kiba. Not someone from another village. _Fuck! I don't want to hurt him! _

She hopped over the railing and walked over to Hayate and Kiba. The look on Kiba's face was freaking her out.

Hayate glanced at his student and the Inuzuka and sighed, "You may begin whenever you're ready."

Kiba smirked "Oh Naruto!" he sang.

She quirked a brow at him. "What?" she asked in an agitated voice.

"I'm going to win. When I do, **you will submit like a good bitch**," he smiled widely, his voice getting deeper.

Her jaw, along with every other jaw in the room , dropped. Kurama began laughing his ass off. _**He seeks to mate you Kit! Whatever you do, do not show him your exposed throat, or he'll be justified in his actions!**_

Kurenai was watching her student in surprise. Kiba had just made an advance on someone for the Inuzuka mating ritual.

Sakura didn't understand why Kiba insulted Naruto and asked Kakashi about it.

"Well, the Inuzuka have a strange way of finding their spouses. A male challenges a female to a battle and he must defeat her. She then, must bare her neck, showing that she fully trusts him, giving him the advantage of her weak point, where he could either kill her or mark her. Kiba is challenging Naruto in the same way," Kakashi blushed under his mask at having to explain such things.

"What do you mean by mark?" Sasuke asked, confused by Kiba's behavior as well.

Kurenai sighed, "The Inuzuka are very close to canines in many aspects. Their senses are like that of a dogs and their ability to find a mate, or in our case, spouse, is just the same. Kiba sees himself as the Alpha and sees Naruto as his chosen, to give him children and such. If Naruto loses this, Kiba can do whatever he wants to him, no matter who is around."

The rest of the Rookie Nine blanched. Choji looked at Asuma, "Doesn't he need a girl though to have kids with?"

Asuma shrugged, "There are jutsu that can help men get pregnant, so, a woman isn't really needed."

Hinata was blushing. Kiba was thinking of Naruto like _that_! He even said so out loud! Now everyone though that he hit for the other team, and were probably worried about Naruto's reaction. She looked at her long time friend.

Naruto was still standing in the same spot as before. She had yet to make a sound, and her whole body was shaking.

_Oh no! She's angry!_

Shino stepped up next to her and whispered, "Is she going to kill him?"

Hinata sighed, "I hope not."

Naruto was pissed! How dare that mutt do something like that!

_**One good hit should knock him out. Make sure you hit him in the right place!**_

With a nod of her head, Naruto sprang for the daring boy, intending to end it quickly. She flashed before he could react, and landed the hardest kick she could, to his balls. "Fuck you Kiba!" she yelled.

He let out a girlish shriek as his body sailed through the air and right through the wall. Medics were running to see if he was okay. They all waited.

One returned, "He won't be moving for a long time." The rest appeared, carrying the boy off. Naruto noticed how they all avoided her, giving her a wide berth. Good. They knew not to mess with her then.

Naruto didn't wait for Hayate to announce her as the winner, and just went back to her friends. Plopping down next to Sasuke she sighed, "Arrogant mutt."

Hayate called the next match, getting everyone's attention off the fuming blonde, "Choji Akimichi and Dosu Kinuta!"

Poor Choji lost bad, but, his efforts earned him a night out, at his favorite barbecue restaurant.

Neji faced someone from Iwa that no one cared to learn the name to. He was defeated easily and Neji took his spot in the finals.

The last two to fight, were Gaara and Lee. Naruto snapped out of her mood, and was curious to see how long Lee fared against a Jinchuriki. She was impressed to see that he was a very advanced Taijutsu artist, but was saddened by the fact that he couldn't use Ninjutsu or Genjutsu. Because of that, she knew that he would lose.

Gaara wasn't a pushover. Unlike his sibling Kankuro, who got cocky, Gaara was quiet. He didn't need to boast, because he already knew that he was strong. He didn't open his mouth until Lee actually landed a hit, somehow getting around the sand that protected the Suna ninja.

His bloodlust intensified, filling the area and causing many a shinobi, to shiver. He then stated that he would enjoy killing Lee.

Lee used the first half of the Eight Inner Gates, but in the end, it didn't help him, as Gaara was able to wrap his sand around the boys leg, and crush it. If his sensei didn't interfere, Lee would've been dead.

The final battles were decided:

1. Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga

2. Sasuke Uchiha vs. Bisuke Hazama. Winner vs. Sakura Haruno

3. Shino Aburame vs. Hinata Hyuga

4. Shikamaru Nara vs. Sabaku no Temari

5. Sabaku no Gaara vs. Kinuta Dosu

_Yes! I'm going to kick Neji's ass! Finally!_

The Hokage explained that they all had a month to train in time for the finals, and wished them all good luck.

Naruto stretched and yawned, "I can't wait to go and eat some ramen!"

Sakura and Sasuke smirked, while Kakashi sighed, "Is that all you think about?"

"No! I'm also thinking about taking Iruka sensei out too!" she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Okay then, " he shrugged, eye tilting up a bit, showing that he was grinning.

Naruto smiled. _The Second Exam is over! I'm going to eat as much ramen as I can before I start my training! _

_**Good grief!**_

**A/N: Hello people! Lets get right to it then!**

**The voting is over!**

**Your votes:**

**Shikamaru- 264**

**Gaara- 196**

**Shikamaru wins!**

***!BUT!*(MAKE SURE YOU KEEP READING FOR A SURPRISE!)**

**I originally wanted Shikamaru to win and a small part of me wanted Gaara, because I like them both. I realized that half of you will leave this story no matter who wins, SO… I chose both guys! And NO! this is not a harem!**

**It will take me longer to do, but I will be splitting this story in half. In the end, there will be two different endings to the same story. Chapters will be split and posted twice. Like the next chapter, it will be chapter 5, but posted twice. One will say, Chapter 5 Shikamaru and the other, Chapter 5 Gaara. At the top of the chapter I will leave a note about which chapter is which in case you didn't look, and whether or not you need to click 'next' or 'prev'.**

**I want to see how it ends with both guys, so I'm doing both. **

**This is for you **_**and **_**me. I'd feel bad if half of you got your hopes crushed cause your favorite guy didn't win, and that's why I'm doing this. It will take longer, but I really want this to work.**

**Thank you for making it interesting! I look forward to seeing your thoughts in your reviews! Let me know what you think! :D**

**Ja ne! :D**


	5. Ch 5 (Shikamaru) The Month

**A/N: Hello people! This is chapter five!**

**!*ATTENTION*! THIS IS 'CHAPTER 5 SHIKAMARU'! IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR 'CHAPTER 5 GAARA' PRESS THE 'NEXT' BUTTON!**

******This chapter is dedicated to Panda chan! for being the 550th reviewer! Thanks!**

**So, I got 2 flames and I'll answer to them right now. **

**To jjjj, the rules for state that whether you have a profile or you are a guest, you can only review the same chpater once. Some, yeah, I did get 500 reviews. I couldn't review my own story 500 hundred times even if I wanted. Sorry to rain on your flame parade Chika. :D**

**The the ass who reviewed under 'GUEST', who reviewed the reviews after jjjj, and didn't even have the guts to put a name down, Fuck You! This is my story, and if I want Naruto to be a girl, then I'll do what I want. BTW, if I were to get rid of this story, some people wouldn't be happy.**

**Now that that's over, onto something of meaning.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**I have no beta for this story.**

**Enjoy! :D**

Naruto yawned. An Anbu knocked on her door early in the morning, telling that the Hokage requested her presence. She chose to walk the streets instead of going roof to roof because no one was out and she didn't to worry about glaring villagers.

Like usual, she just walked into the office and waved at the Hokage, "Hey Old Man!"

He smiled, and motioned for her to sit. "Do you know why you're here Naruto?" he asked.

She thought for a second, "I didn't pull any pranks recently, so I know I'm not in trouble. It has to do with that Grass ninja who attacked Sasuke, doesn't it?"

He nodded, "I need you to tell me everything that happened as soon as you entered the forest."

Naruto sighed. _How many times in the past few days have I had to tell this story? I can't brush over it either! What a drag!_

"Okay. I noticed the markings on the scrolls and told my team about seals and such. I then suggested that when we get in the forest, I make some shadow clones to go off and pretend to be team seven while we headed for the tower. After that, we were jumping through the trees and something shook the forest. Sakura and I missed our landing and fell. Sasuke was able to save Sakura, but a large gust of wind came and blew me away," Naruto said looking out the window.

Her lip curled in disgust at what came next. "I awoke to the sound of hissing and tried to dodge this huge snake. It was faster than I thought, and I got swallowed. I'm embarrassed to say that I lost it in there and Kurama had to do all of thinking for me. He told me to create a lot of Shadow Clones, which caused the snake to explode! I was covered in snake guts," she shuddered. "I don't like snakes anymore."

She took a deep breath, "After getting over that, I returned to my team by following the grooves in the forest floor. There was a Grass ninja beating Sasuke to a pulp. I saw her neck get longer, and she bit Sasuke right here." She rubbed the crook of her neck. "When a purple energy came from the wound, I acted, and used The Demonic Fox Style Unholy Flames that Kurama taught me. The ninja recoiled and I got Sasuke to Sakura before turning to fight the creepy chick."

Naruto shook her head, "I then used the second jutsu Demonic Fox Style Raging Furnace. The woman was _laughing_ at me as she burned. Her skin peeling away to reveal healthy skin beneath. It was so gross!" She sneered at the memory.

"I had finally gotten to Demonic Fox Style Burning Judgement, but when she realized that I was serious she began to sink into the fire below her, and her presence disappeared. I then took Sakura and Sasuke to a safe place and had Sakura on guard after I told her what the mark was. Using my chakra, I was able to break one of the tomoe's making the mark useless. Then, with Kurama's chakra, I was able to disintegrate the rest of it. I used too much chakra and passed out," she frowned. _I really need to work on that._

Sarutobi nodded his head. "Anything else that was a major factor?"

Naruto shook her head, "Not really."

He sighed, "I have to tell you, that Grass ninja, wasn't a Genin, or a woman, or even from Grass Country."

Naruto glared, "I knew it couldn't have been a Genin! I'm better than all of the Genin and most Chunin, so there was no way, that that _thing_ was a Genin!" She smirked, proud of the fact that she was right. "So….what was it?"

"His name is Orochimaru. He is an S Class missing ninja that is bent on living forever. His Cursed Mark of Heaven, that you removed from Sasuke, gives the person marked undeniable amounts of power. He then trains them to be strong enough, and takes their body when the time is right. By going from body to body, he can live as long as he wants, while at the same time, he's gathering the powers of the people he's overtaken. We don't know much other than that," Sarutobi explained.

Naruto's eyes were large. _That creep was trying to get Sasuke's body! EW! But why?! _She thought about the gathering power part. "Is he after the Sharingan?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded sagely, "Correct. It is said that when he was still in the village, he took an interest in Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, but probably couldn't sway him. So, he set his sights on Sasuke, who has made it his goal to gain ultimate power in order to kill his brother, which of course you know why."

"So, what now?"

Hiruzen sighed, "We have to keep an eye out for Orochimaru now, in case he tries anything else. I'm pretty sure he's connected to the marks, because he can activate them at any time. The proctor for the Second Exam, Mitarashi Anko, has a mark as well. She ran into him in the forest and he used it on her in order to get away."

Naruto was beyond pissed. Some creep was going around cursing people and taking their bodies and powers. And he was trying to do so with Sasuke! Pedophile. That was all that Naruto could think. He was a pedophile!

"So, has he attacked children before?" she asked.

"Yes. He kidnapped a group of children and experimented his Cursed Mark on them. I caught him in the act and he got away, because I couldn't bring myself to kill him. Now he's come back, all because I made a mistake," he looked down in shame.

"Why couldn't you kill him?"

"He was my student at one point, and I couldn't kill him because of it," Sarutobi sighed. "Yes, Naruto. Even _I_ make mistakes," he nodded solemnly.

"I don't blame you Gramps. I don't think I could do it either if it was my student," she smiled at him.

"Okay. I think we've had enough of the depressing stuff. Are you going to start training for the Third Exam?" he asked.

"Yeah! I think I'm going to go to the one place I never wanted to go, ever again…..the library," she sighed.

"I thought you liked to read?" Hiruzen asked, confused.

"To get smarter, but that's it. I don't actually like reading, so I have a Shadow Clone do it for me. I really don't like looking for all of the books either," she groaned at the thought.

He laughed at her annoyance, "I see. Well, I'll let you go. I have a lot of paper work to do now."

"Okay Gramps, have fun!" she smiled, running from the room.

She blew past the missions room, only to skid to a halt when she saw who was leaving. It was Kakashi!

"Hey sensei!" she called.

He looked up and waved, "Yo!"

"I need to ask you something," she told him, assuming a serious pose.

He sighed, "Sorry, but I can't train you Naruto. I'm already training Sasuke."

"Huh?" she mumbled in confusion. ""That wasn't what I was going to ask," she frowned, annoyed that he would just assume.

His shoulders dropped, "Oh. So…...what did you need then?"

She scratched the back of her head in concentration, "Well, I wanted to know if you could suggest some lightning jutsu for me? I know that you have lightning affinity, so I figured I'd ask you."

Though she couldn't see his face, she knew his mouth was open in awe.

"I thought you said you had wind affinity?" he asked.

She smirked, "I do. Lightning is my second."

He stood there in wonder. His silence was a little unnerving, so she decided to tell him more, in hopes of getting a response. "The Fox has fire and earth, which, when I use his chakra, allows me to do the same. I don't really know that many lightning jutsu though and I can't do water to save my life," she told him with a smile.

"So…...you're saying that you don't need help for training at all? And all you wanted was a list of jutsu?" he asked after another moment of silence.

She nodded.

"I had gotten you someone to train you too," he sighed with a shake of his head.

Her eyes bulged, "Really? Who?"

Kakashi pointed to something behind her, "Him."

She turned and blanched. Konohamaru's stuck up sensei, Ebisu was standing right...behind...her! His glasses shining in a creepy way!

She regarded him for a moment, before saying, "No."

Both Jonin stiffened and Ebisu's mouth turned downward. "Why not?" he demanded.

She glared as hard as she could. "_You_ don't like me because of my _tenant_," She sneered, loving how both men jerked in response. Holding her hand to her chest, she continued, "_I_ don't like _you_, because you're just another self righteous bastard who judges me for something that I had no control over. I have to desire to waste my precious time on someone who doesn't respect me and even denies me the right to exist."

Having said her peace, she turned back to Kakashi, "So, have any ideas? Because I have to go to the library and I'd prefer going into that hell hole, knowing what I'm looking for."

Kakashi glanced from her to Ebisu and back again. It was obvious that they didn't like each other. To say that Naruto shocked Ebisu was an understatement. The Jonin's mouth was wide open in disbelief. It was apparent that Naruto had no qualms about putting someone in their place.

He listed off a few jutsu for the kid and sent him on his way.

"You know," he said to the now quiet hallway. "A real monster would've killed everyone by now. Not waste their time in trying to gain everyone's respect when they can just kill those who oppose them," he stated before walking off and leaving Ebisu to his own devices.

Naruto sat at Ichiraku's for lunch, rifling through a book all about lightning jutsu.

"Naruto? Is that you?"

She turned to see Shikamaru. "Hey lazy ass! What's up?!" she asked.

He yawned and plopped down in a seat beside her, "I'm hungry."

She snickered. He was always so lazy, even in his speech. It was a wonder that he even had the motivation to eat.

Shikamaru watched her through half lidded eyes. "Are you reading voluntarily?" he finally asked.

She snorted, "Yeah. Checking out some jutsu. I figured I can add more to my repertoire."

He gave her a long hard look. "What a drag," he mumbled, looking away.

"Aren't you being trained for the Third Exam? Isn't that a drag as well?" she teased.

"Oh it is! I didn't want to continue on though, _that_ is the drag part of it all," he sighed, resting his head on the bar.

"Then why did you decide to win?"

"Eh!" he groaned. "I couldn't let myself get beaten by _her_. It's not because she's a female. My reaction to being beaten by _her_, compared to being beaten by that Temari girl would be different. Temari is strong, but Kin was ridiculous! To lose to a sorry excuse of a shinobi such as her, would kill me from all of the embarrassment," he shook his head.

"Besides, I was angry about what she did to Sakura. Accusing her of not taking her career seriously when it was so obvious that she was doing the same. The hypocrite was worse than Sakura! Her make up was caked on thick and her nails were all painted and perfectly manicured. I was disgusted, so I decided to win," he finished with a small grin.

Naruto laughed at him, "That has to be the most you've said in a long time!"

"_Oh yeah_, five days is such a _long_ time," he said in a sarcastic voice, shooting her a grin.

"Neh!"

Ayame came from the back and asked what Shikamaru would like. He shrugged, "Whatever's the fastest to make I guess."

She smiled and went back to help her father cook.

"Do, do you eat here every day?" Shikamaru asked his blonde friend.

She nodded and grinned, "At least dinner if I can. Sometimes I can't and I have to eat cup ramen."

He laughed at the face she made, "Is the fresh stuff really that much better?"

He wasn't prepared for Naruto to lean into his face and tsk. "I can't believe you even asked that! Of course it is!"

Shikamaru leaned back as Naruto leaned in even closer. "I get it, you're really dedicated to your ramen!"

She huffed and moved away, "You'll see!"

He fought down the blush that was trying to cover his face. Naruto had some really bright eyes that just seemed to draw a person in. Then to have the object of his affections so close made him a little lightheaded.

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ayame returned with their food. She set a bowl down in front of Shikamaru and went back to collect Naruto's food.

The Nara grabbed some chopsticks and decided to wait for Naruto receive his food before starting. He was shocked to see the waitress come back with a large tray with five bowls on it!

"Here you go Naruto!" she smiled setting the tray down in front of her number one customer.

"Thanks!"

Shikamaru's jaw dropped as he watched Naruto inhale a bowl in a minute. The blonde paused and turned to him with a questioning look. He shook his head and started eating. _Shino had a good point. How can he still be so small and thin when he eats like that?!_

Naruto finished before Shikamaru did and let out a loud belch. Shikamaru stopped eating again to give Naruto a look, "With energy you use to eat, you could power all of Konoha for a week. Uh! Thinking about all of that energy is making me tired!"

She blushed, "Shut up lazy ass!"

He just smiled and went back to finishing his own food.

When they finished, they payed for their food, and Naruto said goodbye to Shikamaru. She had a lot of training to do, and needed to find a good place to do it.

She decided to head towards the area of the village that had a lot of natural springs. There she could work on her training. Lightning and water don't mix, so she figured that if she trained with lightning while standing on water, it would give her the enough incentive to get it down quicker.

When she reached a good place, she noticed that someone was already there. It was a old guy with long white hair and a large scroll on his back. He was giggling and writing something in a notebook.

When got closer she understood why. From where he was, he had a good spot to watch a bunch of women play around in the pool of water that Naruto had intended to use for her training.

She shook her head. _This guy is one of the biggest perverts I've ever seen!_

_**But, he's a smart pervert for picking a vantage point where none of them will see him, and he can't get injured.**_

_Why do you sound proud? Do you condone this kind of behavior?!_

_**Well…..**_

_Shut up Kurama!_

_**You asked!**_

She frowned and looked back at the giggling man. He had yet to notice her presence, even though the scroll on his back most likely meant that he was a ninja. To let such a thing as nearly naked women be the thing that nearly gets you killed, disgraceful.

She took a deep breath and, "Hey pervert!"

He jumped and fell over. The women in the pool heard her yell and all screamed as well, quickly getting their things and running away.

"Look what you've done! You just ruined my research kid!" the guy growled giving her a glare.

She snorted, "Research for what you pervert?"

He fully turned to her and crossed his arms, "I'll have you know that I am not a pervert!"

Before she could comment he was talking again, "I'm a super pervert!"

"Like that's any better!" she threw her arms up in annoyance.

"Who are you anyway, perv?!"

He smirked, "Well, I'm glad you asked." He clapped his hands, "_I_ am The Legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! The woman pleasing Toad Sannin and the amazing author of Icha Icha Paradise!"

He assumed a dramatic pose and waited for her response.

She stared for a few seconds before finally saying something. _This guy is one of the Legendary Three? Yeah right! _"You know old man, I've read part of that book before and now that I know who you are, I can finally tell you, that I'm unimpressed, Pervy Sage," she told him with a bored expression.

His smile dropped and he glared, "What?! Don't call me that!"

"Well, it's what you are! And you were so proud to tell me that you're a 'super pervert'!" she countered.

They glared at each other for awhile. Naruto wanted him to leave soon so she could train and didn't feel like it with him around.

"You disrespectful little brat! You're supposed to respect your elders! What did your parents teach you?!" he frowned.

She flinched a little and looked away, "I don't have any parents."

His eyes grew a little wide. She glared at him again, "Can you go now? I need to train and I'd prefer it if _you_ weren't here."

Jiraiya sighed, "Look kid-"

She cut him off by raising her left hand, "No! There are no more girls here, therefore you have no reason to stay."

He gave her an odd look but nodded and left quickly.

_Man, he was annoying! _

She moseyed on down to the water and removed all of her extra baggage. Leaving her shoes with all of her other things on the rocks, she stepped onto the water.

_What one should I try first?_

_**How about that Electric Pulse thing? All you have to do is surround your body with your lightning chakra and then push it outward!**_

Naruto nodded, _Okay!_

She centered her chakra and began to change it, letting blue sparks travel along her body.

_**Make sure you build up a good amount of power!**_

She nodded and added more in. Then with great force, pushed it away from her body.

What happened next shocked her. Literally. She forgot about the standing on water part of her training, and when the lightning hit the water, she got electrocuted!

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" her scream echoed across the water. Her body convulsed madly and she sank from losing her control.

When the tremors finally stopped, she was able to get to the surface. Finally breathing air, she noticed that it was no longer quiet. Laughter was ringing loudly in her ear.

_Shut up Kurama!_

The fox was laughing at her!

_**Sorry, I just wanted to see if you were paying attention! You weren't! Otherwise you would've noticed the danger in doing what I suggested!**_

She growled to herself. _You're such a prick!_

More laughter reached her ears and she turned her head to see the Pervy Sage!

"What are you doing here?!" she shouted in anger.

He continued to laugh for a moment before he calmed down enough to answer. "When you held your hand out, I noticed the seal and it got me interested, so I hung around. And I have to say, that I'm glad I did!" he laughed some more.

"Oh, shut up Pervy Sage!" she frowned, swimming to shore.

"So boy, who put that seal on you?" Jiraiya asked ignoring her comment.

She gave him a scrutinizing glare, "Hm. You aren't frequent in the village enough, so hiding from you wouldn't matter in the least."

He gave her a confused look, "What?"

She reached up and pulled the zipper of her jacket down revealing the skin tight mesh shirt she wore underneath. "I'm a girl, you old perv," she said, laying the jacket down by her stuff.

His mouth dropped, "You're hiding the fact that you're a girl?! Under that, that coat?! HOW?! WHY?!"

She looked at him like he was stupid. It wasn't like she was big breasted or anything! She at least matched that Suna girl Temari. It wasn't like she was hauling around something impressive!

She noticed his eyes losing focus and his face broke out into a goofy grin.

She snapped her fingers to get his attention, "Hey! I'm way too young for you dude, I'm only thirteen!"

He face fell in sadness. He sighed, "What's your name kid?"

She debated on telling him. Would he try and stalk her once she left?

"No, I'm not going to stalk you," he told her, making her worry.

"The need to have to assure me, means that you've done this before," she accused. "I don't think I want to tell you," she decided, turning away.

"Hey! I told you who I am! It's only respectful to give your own name in return!"

She looked over her shoulder and with narrowed eyes, answered him,  
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Jiraiya watched the girl train. He kept quiet as he mulled over the information. This was the Jinchuriki for the Kyuubi no Youko. And, she was Minato and Kushina's daughter. That shocked him, seeing as how he was never told that their child was a girl.

_I even thought __**those**_ _kind of thoughts about her! I __**am**_ _a pervert!_

Several hours passed and he was able to see her master a lightning jutsu, except this time she was smart enough not to let it touch the water.

"So Naruto, why do you pretend to be a boy?" he asked when the kid was taking a break.

"Ugh…..something almost happened when I was younger because the villagers hate me. Pretending to be a boy has saved me from anything like _that_ ever happening," she mumbled, watching the water.

"It's because of the Fox correct?" he asked shocking her more than the jutsu did!

"You knew?!"

He shook his head, "Not until you said your name. Then, when I added all of the information I got out of you, it all came together."

"Information?" she asked.

"Yeah, your age and the fact that you have no parents. It all clicked," he told her with a grin.

"Now, lets talk about something not so depressing. Is lightning your element?"

She gaped at him and shook her head, "No, it's my second. I don't know many lightning jutsu though, and I figured I should learn some more."

He nodded in understanding, "And the seal on your palm? I can see that it's a Containment Seal, but there's something off about it."

Her mouth dropped again, "I, well, when I found out about the Fox, his name is Kurama by the way, I learned about the seal. I got interested and soon, I was studying them. They provide a certain balance, because I suck at Genjutsu. So, I filled the gap with Fuinjutsu." She inhaled, "You're right, it is a Containment Seal, but I modified it a bit so that it could be directly placed on the skin, giving me an extra storage place for my weapons."

His eyes were wide, "You really did that? And you know the Fox's name?!"

She nodded, "We've been partners and friends for a long time. He heals me, trains me, teaches me and is _there_ when no one else is. He also helps me to keep a level head, and most of the time prevents me from doing stupid things. And his name is Kurama!"

Jiraiya looked at her in awe. The kid had befriended the beast that was sealed within her and decided to learn about seals because she knew that she was bad in Genjutsu. A smart move, allowing her to keep her skills even.

"Okay, okay, Kurama happy?" When she nodded, he continued, "So, why are you training so hard kid?"

"The Chunin Exams. We have a month to train for the Third Exam and I figured that I should learn more jutsu, for it. I'll study some more Fuinjutsu and hunt down Hayate sensei and ask him to test my Kenjutsu skills. I don't really have anything else that I can think of," she rubbed her head in thought.

"So Hayate finally took on a Genin team?" Jiraiya asked, feeling a little nostalgic.

"No. He just trained me in Kenjutsu when he saw me training one day," she shrugged.

"So you know Kenjutsu and Fuinjutsu as a way to make up for your failure in Genjutsu? Smart," he complimented with a smile.

She grinned. Finally someone who saw that there was a method to her madness!

He studied her for awhile before smiling, "Tell you what kid. I'll take you on as my apprentice and teach you things that'll make your head spin!"

"Why would you want to teach me?"

He blushed and looked away, "Well, I know a lot about you kid. I can't tell you everything until you're sixteen, but I guess I can tell you this."

She was watching him closely. _He knows about me?_

"I'm your Godfather."

She froze. Naruto stared at him as if he had two heads. Was it true?

"Wait! If you really are my Godfather, then all of that money that Gramps has been giving me all these years…."

He nodded, "I couldn't be there because of my job and I was ordered not to search for you until you were a certain age. So, I sent money to Sarutobi sensei and he would designate how much you got and how much to save for emergencies."

"Why weren't you allowed to find me?" her voice was quiet, almost inaudible.

"The Hokage's advisors forbade me from from taking you. One, because of my spy network which is dangerous and two…." he trailed off.

"Two…..?"

"You're a Jinchuriki. Many villages deliberately create Jinchuriki and use them as weapons of war. All of the Civilian Council and a couple of the Shinobi Council wanted to lock you up and turn you into the perfect weapon. The rest of the Shinobi Council along with Sarutobi sensei and his advisors put a stop to that idea, but in return for helping to keep you from such an upbringing, the advisors made it so that I couldn't approach you. They felt it was only fair, because it was weakening their weapon," he told her.

"I did what I could from a distance. Since it was _you_ who found _me_, _I_ didn't break any rules and they can't complain. I promise you kid, when you're of age, I'll tell you everything about you parents," he smiled a little, trying to cheer her up.

"Can I know one thing?" she asked hesitantly.

Jiraiya nodded, deciding that the kid deserved that much.

"Did they, love me?'

Such a simple question held so much emotion. He gave her his best smile," Very much."

Her own smile could rival the brightness of the sun, "Thanks Pervy Sage!"

He frowned at the name, but he let it pass. Why ruin the moment?

"Do you have anywhere you want to meet tomorrow?" he asked.

She scratched her chin, "Ichiraku's!"

Jiraiya sighed, _**Great**__! Another ramen lover!_

"Okay then. See you at noon kid!" he said.

She watched as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_I'm going to be trained!_

_**Yeah! By an old pervert!**_

_I'm going to be trained by an old pervert, who is my Godfather!_ He face paled, _Oh no!_

Naruto decided to go visit the Old Man, just to get his confirmation on the Pervy Sage. Like usual, she ignored the people in the Hokage Tower and just barged straight into his office, "Hey Gramps!"

She paused to see the Pervy Sage sitting on the Old Man's desk!

Sarutobi smiled at her appearance, "Hello Naruto! What can I help you with?!"

She looked from Jiraiya to Sarutobi, wondering what to do. A slight noise from behind her, alerted her of a presence. Three to be exact.

She moved aside and turned to the door in time to see Konohamaru charge into the office. His foot however caught on his long scarf and he tripped, landing flat on his face.

Moegi and Udon were much slower. They stopped in the doorway when they saw their leader on the ground.

Naruto and Sarutobi sighed. Jiraiya just sat back and watched.

Naruto knelt down beside the fallen youth, "You know, if you got rid of the scarf, you wouldn't fall as much." she told him, fingering the cloth.

He sat up, rubbing his sore head. "But boss, you wear orange all the time because it's your thing! People know who you are just by seeing the outfit you wear! The scarf is my thing. I want people to know who I am when they see the scarf!"

She sighed. It was true that the orange got her attention, but most of it wasn't all that great. She didn't feel like telling him that though, "So…..are you here for the daily challenge?"

He shook his head, "Nah! I just wanted to see Grandpa. They followed because were ditching Ebisu sensei."

"Well, I understand that he sucks so much that you want to get away from him, but you can't just ditch all the time. You need to learn something," she told him.

He just shrugged it off, "He's lame! We never learn anything when we actually listen. It's stuff that we already know!"

"Honorable Grandson! Come back this instant!"

Naruto frowned when Ebisu ran into the room. What was so hard about using someone's name?

"Dude! He has a name! Use it!" she yelled.

Ebisu gave her a look, "It's what he is!"

"Oh, so, it's okay to just go around ignore using their names deliberately just so you yourself can seem all cool?!" she demanded.

He sputtered for words but found none.

"Fine! I'll just ignore all respect and call you what I want! Your new name is Asshole," she told him with a smirk.

Sarutobi and Jiraiya gasped, "Naruto!"

She ignored their affronted words and turned to the three midgets, "If I hear you repeating any of the bad words that are about to come out of my mouth, I'll put you through a day in hell."

The three nodded vigorously.

She then turned back to the embarrassment of a sensei and began to tap her foot.

He finally got up the nerve to answer her, "How dare you speak to me like that! Even after I was kind enough to offer to train you!'

She snorted, "More like Kakashi sensei has a high influence and you couldn't really say no. It wasn't like you have anything important to do anyway!"

"I have to teach these children!" he shouted, pointing to his students.

"Oh really? What have you taught them that has actually benefited them in any way? You brainwashed Konohamaru into thinking that if he followed your every word, he'd become Hokage quicker! You let the kid think that there was a shortcut to such a title! There isn't! To reach that level, you need to train through blood, sweat and tears!" she shouted in his face.

"Hell! I've taught them more than you have! They know the tree climbing exercise and have all perfected their aim because of me! Nothing you did helped them at all! In fact, they tell me all the time that they never learn anything from you because you repeat what they already know! And how would I know that? Because they get away from you all the time! I have no idea how you made Tokubetsu Jonin when you can't even keep track of three little preschoolers!" she added, completely annoyed with him.

His mouth was agape. Her foot began to tap out a more irritated rhythm.

"Naruto I think you're being a little harsh," Sarutobi said trying to rid the room of the tension that had built up.

"Sorry Gramps, but I'm going to spare Asshole's feelings!" she told him, crossing her arms. "So, Asshole. How does it feel to be told that you're worthless? Do you like it when your name isn't acknowledged, or does it get your jollies off?!" she taunted.

Ebisu was looking at the ground.

"Does it _bother_ you that your _precious_ students show _me_, the Fox brat, more respect than you?!" she continued, adding insult to injury.

"You…." he began, but paused.

"Hm? What was that Asshole?" she sneered.

"You aren't….a….brat. What you said this morning…...you were right," he looked up, catching her eyes. "I _was_ judging you for something that was beyond your control. I apologise for letting my personal feeling for something else, travel to you. You didn't deserve it."

Her jaw dropped. She wasn't expecting an apology from him. She never got one before so it really had a confusing effect on her.

She looked over to Sarutobi who was smiling and nodding. That must've meant that it was a sincere apology. She turned back to Ebisu who had yet to look away from her face.

She sighed, "Okay. I accept your apology, so long as you forgive me for goading you. I knew that I overstepped my bounds. Even though I was right, it wasn't my business to say anything. Next time, if you feel anything negative, come and talk to me before you assume."

They nodded at each other and she faced the kids. "Okay, you three. I know that it's fun to ditch and all, but maybe the reason why he keeps repeating everything, is because you guys always leave." She then turned to Ebisu, "Sensei, I suggest that you give them an assessment test. They are much smarter than you think they are."

Ebisu nodded in shock, surprised at how the situation had been flipped around. He then bowed to the Hokage and left.

Naruto yawned, stretching her arms out. "Now that the heavy stuff is over, you midgets hungry?"

The preschoolers began jumping up and down, "Yeah!"

She pushed them toward the door. Looking over her shoulder she said, "I'll talk to you later Gramps!"

Jiraiya turned to his sensei and laughed, "She is certainly a lively one! I thought she was level headed before. Boy was I wrong!"

Hiruzen laughed as well, "Yes, she is a handful! At least she hasn't pulled any pranks lately."

He turned and opened the left drawer of his desk. A pop sounded and his face was covered in orange paint.

Jiraiya laughed even harder, "Are you sure about that?!"

"Naruto!"

The next few weeks were rough on Naruto. Jiraiya proved that age wasn't everything, and repeatedly kicked her ass in everything she trained in! He absolutely refused to go easy on her in anything because he felt that it would be an insult to her. Just because she was female, didn't mean she couldn't handle it, and he intended to treat her like everyone else!

The first time he put her through a tree she was shocked! He didn't ease into it at all! There was no basics or beginning methods. It was the, 'I'm coming at you with everything I have, so you better learn to dodge' kind of training.

It was funny when he attempted to teach her how to summon, and she told him she already could. He had demanded to see proof and she did so, summoning a seven tailed fox named Hono.

Jiraiya insisted that she learn how to summon toads like him, and told her to use her other hand to summon them. That way, one hand was for foxes and the other was for toads. It also gave her a one up because not many people had two different animal summons.

He challenged her to summon the biggest toad she could and she complied, bringing out the big boss, Gamabunta. He wasn't the happiest of creatures and demanded to know why Jiraiya summoned him when there was no danger.

Naruto began screaming about how she was the one to summon him and he completely ignored her, saying that it wasn't possible for someone so small to summon him. When she pressed the issue further, he dared her to prove it. So, with the rest of her chakra, she summoned Hono again.

Gamabunta had sighed and agreed to let her sign the contract. She made sure to use her left hand so that he summoning wouldn't get mixed up in any way. As soon as she did that, she collapsed from chakra exhaustion.

The next day, she was awakened by Shikamaru of all people!

"Where am I?" she asked, trying to sit up. After three failed attempts she groaned and gave up.

"The hospital. You've been here since last night," the lazy boy shrugged.

"Oh. How did you know I was here?" she asked.

"Sakura was visiting Lee and saw some old guy bring you in. She told me when I walked by her today, and I thought that since I was visiting Choji, I'd visit you as well," he grinned.

That got her attention! "Why is Choji here? Is he okay?!"

Shikamaru waved her off, "Don't worry. Asuma has been training us like crazy and the more effort Choji gives, the more barbecue he gets. Yesterday, he ate a little too much and has a really bad case of indigestion now, that's all."

She began to laugh, "Of course he would do that!"

Shikamaru reached down and placed a basket of fruit by her leg. "I had brought this for Choji, but they told me he couldn't have it, so I figured it could help you out. Besides, I didn't want all the work I went through to make this to go to waste. That would be a drag!" he smiled.

"Thanks, I'm really hungry!" she said, reaching for an apple.

"No problem!" he shrugged.

"Hey! You know what would make this great?" she asked, an evil grin splitting her face.

He eyed her skeptically, "What?"

"If we ate this in front of Choji!" she laughed.

"Man you're evil! I like it!" he grinned.

She grunted and heaved herself up, finally able to sit upright. It was at that moment, that Shikamaru's jaw dropped. She tilted her head in confusion, wondering what he was looking at.

She followed his line of vision and gasped. She was only wearing her mesh shirt! _Oh Fuck!_

"You're a, a, a girl?!" he asked in absolute shock and a bit of horror. How had he not known? He was a genius and he didn't even know!

She nodded, "Not exactly how I planned on being found out."

Shikamaru was deliriously happy. If Naruto was a girl, then that meant that he wasn't gay! And that if they were to get married at some point, he would get the two children he always wanted by _natural _means, and from the assistance of some jutsu! All that possible work seemed like a drag anyway.

"Wow! I can't believe I never noticed! So, you're not the dead last, you're as smart as me. You're not a guy. You are really good at hiding things!" Shikamaru said in amazement.

Naruto sighed, "Please don't tell. Shino knows because he Kikaichu told him. Kiba smelled me during my cycle and that's why he got all territorial during the preliminaries. Hinata already knows, she found out a long time ago. Then there's Iruka sensei, The Ichiraku's and the Hokage. Oh, and my Godfather that I met a while ago. No one else knows and I don't want everyone to know just yet."

Shikamaru snorted, "Why would I tell? It's not my secret. Besides, I hate spreading gossip, it's such a drag."

She tackled him into a hug, "Thanks Shikamaru!"

"Okay okay! Can you get ready now?!" he asked, pushing her away slowly.

She nodded and moved to grab her jacket. Slipping it on, she zipped it up. "Lets go taunt Choji!" she stated, running from the room.

Shikamaru gathered his portable Shogi set and the basket of fruit and followed the blond. _So much energy should be illegal._

As they walked the halls a chill in the air made them pause. It gave them both shivers and Naruto had a horrible feeling that she knew what it was.

_**Shukaku has driven that boy insane.**_

_Fuck I was right!_

"Shikamaru hurry!" she sped off in the direction of the evil intent.

Down a hallway and past a nurses station that was empty, for some reason, they came to a room where the door was ajar.

Naruto shoved the door open and ran inside to see Gaara covering Lee in his sand. Shikamaru was quick to assess the situation and used his Shadow Possession Jutsu to stop Gaara from killing the boy.

Gaara was forced to turn to them and his eyes widened at who he saw. "I have to kill him. For landing a hit, he must die!" he growled out.

"Not on our watch pal. We can't let you hurt Lee for no good reason," Shikamaru frowned.

"I'll kill you if you get in my way," Gaara smiled maliciously at him.

"Dude, you don't need to kill him!" Naruto stepped forward in anger.

Gaara smiled at her, "Of course I do! It's what I live for! To prove my existence by killing the very first person to ever hit me, will make me feel truly alive!"

She shuddered, _That's how he sees it?_

Shikamaru scoffed, "How does that prove that you exist? I can see you just fine!"

Gaara laughed evilly, "I was born a monster. My father, the Kazekage, sealed a demon inside me, his own son, when I was still in the womb. The spirit of a corrupt priest named Shukaku lives inside my body. The sealing in turn, caused me to be born prematurely and in doing so, killed the woman who brought me into the world."

His smile grew maniacal, "I was given everything I wanted, and was spoiled. For a long time I thought that was my fathers way of showing me that he loved me. But I was wrong."

"You just said that you were spoiled, so how could you be wrong?!" Shikamaru demanded.

Naruto was shaking, because she knew where this whole conversation was going.

"Everything was fine, until my father sent an assassin after me when I was six," Gaara told them.

Naruto and Shikamaru froze.

"I was The Kazekage Child. I was born to be the ultimate weapon. My father taught me all of the secrets of the village and gave me free reign to do as I pleased. But then, I became too much. The villagers began to notice that I had, _emotional issues_. People fear that which they don't understand. When my power increased, the fear in their hearts increased as well," Gaara explained.

"I failed at what I was born for. The Shukaku wasn't controlled like everyone had hoped. I was no longer needed, and they all wanted me dead. With my purpose gone, what did I have to live for? The assassinations become more frequent. One night, I finally understood, after killing an entire team of shinobi, what my purpose was. I was born to kill. Taking the life of my mother gave me life, and so taking the lives of others, sustains my life. I exist for the sole purpose of killing and as long as there are people in this world, my existence will never disappear!" Gaara finished.

Naruto was shaking slightly. _I can't believe it! He really is like me! Even down to the assassination attempts! He had nobody though. He was alone, and because of that, he decided that his purpose was to kill!_

_**Shukaku has really warped the boys brain Kit! It'll be a miracle if you can change him.**_

"I fight for myself and I love myself, and I kill to exist. That is what I am meant for," Gaara smiled. His sand began to moved toward Shikamaru who was freaking out.

"He shouldn't be able to do that!" the Nara panicked.

Before the sand could reach him, the door opened and in stepped Maito Gai.

"Alright that's enough! Save your energy for the Third Exam!" the man ordered.

Gaara began to shake and his hands clutched his head, Shikamaru's jutsu doing nothing to hinder him.

_It didn't really stop him did it?! _he thought in fear.

Gaara's sand returned to the gourd on his back and he turned away from them, still clutching his head. He paused in the doorway, "One way or another, I will kill you. All of you!"

The room was quiet and Gai sighed, "Thank you for stopping him you two."

They all took a deep breath. Naruto threw him a grin, "Don't mention Bushier Brow sensei!"

She and Shikamaru bowed to him, and left quickly.

"Gaara, has some serious issues," she mumbled.

"No kidding! We almost got killed! Man what a drag! I haven't been that scared in a long time!" Shikamaru sighed, holding his hand over his heart.

Naruto nodded, "We should go and see Choji now."

They both shuffled off, Shikamaru grabbing the basket and Shogi board from where he left them at the nurses station.

Naruto and Shikamaru were chased from Choji's room after a couple of hours and decided to go home.

"Hey Shikamaru! What's the date?" she asked while walking backwards.

He looked up at the sky, "Uh….the ninth. The Third Exam is in two days. Why?!"

She nearly froze. Tomorrow was the tenth! _Shit!_

"Oh! I was thinking of taking it off and relaxing before the Exam!" she smiled, hoping that he didn't notice her too long of a pause.

He did, but decided to let it go. Naruto didn't have to tell him anything if she didn't want to. He could guess why she brought it up though. October tenth was the festival for the defeat of the Kyubi no Youko, and the anniversary of the death of the Yondaime Hokage. It was also Naruto's birthday.

Naruto didn't know that he knew, but it wasn't hard to figure out. Especially after their first assignment when they started the academy. They were supposed to give information about themselves and their birthday was required. He had been sitting next to Naruto, and saw her paper. He could understand why it wasn't the best day of the year for her. It was Death Day to a lot of people and he had noticed how she always skipped that day. Iruka was never angry on those days. Like he understood and didn't hold it against her.

He nodded at the blonde, "Okay then. I have to get home, or my mom will freak out like she always does," He sighed, "Curfews are such a drag!"

Naruto laughed at him and waved, "See you later!" She watched as he turned down a different street, and kept watching till he was out of sight.

Before going home, she decided to stop at the Hokage Tower and tell the Old Man that she wouldn't be around the next day.

"Hey Gramps!" she yelled, barging into his office.

He looked up from his conversation with none other than Jiraiya and smiled. "Hello! What can I help you with?!"

She shrugged, "I came to inform you that I won't be around much tomorrow. I'll be chilling out around the Hokage Monument, in case you need me."

Sarutobi nodded and sighed.

Jiraiya frowned, "You don't want to spend your birthday with your friends?"

Her eyes bulged.

"I am your Godfather you know! I do know things!" he snorted, folding his arms.

"I don't go into the village on the tenth. I stay away from the population ever since my eighth birthday," she told him.

Jiraiya turned to his sensei with a cocked brow.

Sarutobi sighed once more, "Some of the villagers, in recent years, have taken it upon themselves to try and rid the world of the Kyubi on their own. Naruto's apartment has been set ablaze every October tenth since she was eight."

Before Jiraiya could speak, Hiruzen was adding more, "Naruto learned about seals after the second time, and put one on the building so that any damage done would be reversed within the night. By the next morning, everything is back to normal. I have imprisoned those who were caught, but I can't catch all of them."

Jiraiya growled in annoyance. He then turned to Naruto and pulled out a book from nowhere! "Here. This is for you. If I won't see you tomorrow I'll give it to you now," he said, tossing it to her.

It was book on advanced seals! She grinned, "Thanks Pervy Sage!"

"Will you stop calling me that?!" he shouted.

"Will you stop being a pervert?!" she countered.

"Here Naruto, I'll also give you your gift early, "Said Hiruzen as he held out a large wrapped box.

She opened it quickly, and jumped up and down in excitement. It was a collection of special ramen bowls. All painted orange and each had her name written on them in a darker shade of orange, surrounded by blue swirls. "Thanks Gramps!" she cheered.

He smiled as she ran from the room, "She's a good kid."

The next day, Naruto sat on top of the Fourth Hokage's face on the Hokage Monument. It was a sad afternoon and she was bored sitting there for the past few hours.

By eight she had come down from her hiding place to get a good view. The Annual Burning of the Demon was going to start soon. Even though it was something that the villagers did in order to try and kill her, she still watched.

For the past three years she sat atop Kikyo Castle and watched as her apartment building burned to the ground. She would sit there all night and watch as the building would reform itself. She was glad that she was the only person living there, otherwise she'd have the deaths of others on her hands.

When she reached her usual place to sit, it was already occupied…...by Gaara.

He was watching her as she approached. His eyes a little wide.

"I'm not here to fight with you or anything," she told him with her palms raised.

"I'm just here to watch something," she continued sitting on the roof.

He sat atop one of the shachihoko shaped shibi, his eyes glaring down at her. She turned to watch the village, making sure to keep her guard up, just in case he tried something.

"Hey Naruto!"

Both Jinchuriki turned to see Shikamaru land on the roof. He was giving Gaara a skeptical look.

"I intruded upon his solitude. He hasn't tried anything. What do you need?" she told him, wondering what he was doing there.

"I noticed your hair." He reached into his pocket and tossed something at her, "Happy birthday."

She turned over the gift and grinned. It was a stack of Ichiraku's free slips. "Thanks! How did you know?"

The boy shrugged, "I've known for a long time. All those years of coupons randomly showing up in your pockets was me. You didn't want people to know though, so I never told you that I knew."

She gaped at him. "Thank you for all those times too!"

"Why are you all happy?" he asked sitting next to her, still keeping an eye on Gaara.

She laughed, "The only people I ever get gifts from are Iruka sensei, the Hokage and Hinata."

"Speaking of her, I saw her earlier and she was looking for you. She said she'd leave your present on your bed or something like that," he muttered.

She nodded, Hinata always did that. _I guess I'll have to see her gift tomorrow. _

Shikamaru yawned, "So why are you here?"

She shrugged, "I do this every year at this time." She pointed in a direction and said, "Look over there."

He did so, noticing that Gaara had done the same.

After a few minutes, a large fire was burning, taking up their view.

"Is that a bonfire?" Shikamaru asked.

She shrugged, "More or less."

The silence dragged on as they watched the flames lick the sky. Purple smoke mixed with the flames.

_They added knockout gas this year! At least they're trying harder._

She continued to watch and something began to bother her. What was it though? Looking at the fire made her worry for some reason. _What is wrong?!_

"Shikamaru, when did you see Hinata?" she asked, border line panicking.

He looked at his watch that she never knew he wore, "Uh….about fifteen minutes ago near Ichiraku."

Her whole world froze. She turned to him, "You saw her fifteen minutes ago at Ichiraku and she said that she was going to my apartment to leave a present on my bed?!"

He nodded.

"Hinata is in my apartment?" she asked.

"Most likely," he shrugged.

_Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! Oh God! _

"Hinata is in my apartment!" she yelled, voice going hoarse.

"Why are you freaking out?! There's nothing bad about that!" the Nara said backing up a bit.

"NO! No no no no no no no no NO!" she rambled, smacking his shoulder repeatedly. "She's in my apartment!"

He obviously didn't get it and asked, "So what?!"

Naruto was on her feet, "Hinata..is..in..my..apartment..THAT THE VILLAGERS JUST SET ON FIRE!"

She was running along the roof, leaving Shikamaru with Gaara.

Both boys watched as she ran. Shikamaru's brain finally processing what she screamed.

"THEY'RE BURNING YOUR APARTMENT?!" he yelled, running after her.

Gaara was left alone on the roof, watching as the two ninja ran off to save someone from a fire.

_Strange how she knew that the villagers were burning her house and she did nothing to stop it._

_**She is powerful, but her emotions will be the death of her. She would be better off if she just killed the annoyances that were trying to kill her.**_

_Yes._

_**We will have her blood.**_

_Yes mother._

Naruto and Shikamaru came upon the burning building and Naruto chucked her jacket at the shadow user. "Watch that for me! I'll be out soon!"

She jumped through a window before he could stop her.

There was smoke everywhere and she held her breath.

_**Kit! Use my chakra! The fire won't affect you!**_

She nodded, letting the orange energy surround her body. Everything became clear and she nodded to herself.

She found Hinata unconscious on the floor of her bedroom, her gift clutched to the girls chest. She leaned down and picked her friend up. The flames began to creep into the room. The doorway was now a ring of fire.

The only way out was through the window. The added oxygen to the flames would most likely cause an explosion. She growled in annoyance and charged the only exit she had.

Fresh air was a nice thing, but as soon as she made a hole, the air rushed into the burning building and fanned the fire. Naruto wasn't fast enough and the explosion caught her back sending her flying onto the roof of a nearby building.

She rolled into a defensive crouch, Hinata still cradled in her arms.

Shikamaru was by her side in a seconds. "Holy hell! Are you okay?!"

She nodded and laid her friend out on the roof. _Kurama! Help me!_

_**Lay your head on her chest!**_

She did so, hearing the faint thump of her friends heart.

_**Place a hand on her throat and the other on her breast bone. Focus my chakra into her skin! **_

Following his instructions she watched as the orange entered into the epidermis. Hinata's mouth opened and a trail of smoke came out.

_**I'm using my chakra to reverse what happened. Her lungs are fine now, they are completely healed. You're lucky that I control fire so well, or she'd be dead.**_

_Thank you!_

"She'll be fine now," Naruto sighed in relief.

"Oh man that was too much excitement for the rest of my life!" Shikamaru sank to his knees.

"Why were they burning your house?" he finally asked.

She groaned, "I don't know if I can tell you. Lets go see the Old Man. He'll know what to do."

She picked Hinata up once more and darted off, Shikamaru hot on her heels.

Once again, she barged into the Hokage's office while he was talking to Jiraiya. _Jeez they talk a lot!_

"Something came up Gramps!" she said laying Hinata on the floor.

Jiraiya and Hiruzen were standing now and Hiruzen asked, "What happened?"

"I was in my usual place to watch the ABD and Shikamaru found me. We talked and he said that he met up with Hinata and she said that she was going to leave my gift on my bed. We watched the fire for a little bit before something started bugging me and I finally asked when he had talked to her. Turns out, it was only a few minutes before he found me and I ended up screaming to the roof tops that Hinata was in my apartment that the villagers were burning to the ground. I thought I should tell you, and Shikamaru wants to know why they would do it," she told him.

Shikamaru looked at the Hokage, "Why would they do that to her house? She hasn't done any major pranking in a long time!"

Hiruzen looked at Naruto in shock. She blushed, "Yeah, he was at the hospital with me yesterday. When I sat up, I didn't know that the nurse took my jacket off and he found out. He said he wouldn't tell, so I think he can be trusted."

Jiraiya and Hiruzen studied the boy for a moment and sighed. "This is going to take a while," Hiruzen said.

The three Genin were dismissed around ten. Hinata awoke right before the 'talk' could happen and she ended up learning the truth. She didn't care though and still gave Naruto her present, which was an orange trenchcoat that was made of special fibers to keep it from battle wear. That way, it would never get ruined!

Shikamaru had no problem with the new information and was glad to finally know why the villagers hated his friend so much.

Naruto was glad that the Third Exam didn't start until one in the afternoon. So, they would still get the rest they needed for the matches.

Naruto waited for her apartment to rebuild itself, so she could finally get some sleep.

_It's been quite the hectic month! _

_**No kidding!**_

**A/N: Hello! Another chapter down!**

**Please review and tell me what you think! **

**Ja ne! :D **


	6. Ch 5(Gaara) The Month

**A/N: Hello people! This is chapter five! **

**!*ATTENTION*! THIS IS 'CHAPTER 5 GAARA'! IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR 'CHAPTER 5 SHIKAMARU' PRESS THE 'PREV' BUTTON!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Panda chan! for being the 550th reviewer! Thanks!**

**So, I got 2 flames and I'll answer to them right now. **

**To jjjj, the rules for state that whether you have a profile or you are a guest, you can only review the same chapter once. So, yeah, I did get 500 reviews. I couldn't review my own story 500 hundred times even if I wanted to. Sorry to rain on your flame parade Chika. :D**

**The the ass who reviewed under 'GUEST', who reviewed the reviews after jjjj, and didn't even have the guts to put a name down, Fuck You! This is my story, and if I want Naruto to be a girl, then I'll do what I want. BTW, if I were to get rid of this story, some people wouldn't be happy.**

**Now that that's over, onto something of meaning.**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**I have no beta for this story.**

**Enjoy! :D**

Naruto yawned. An Anbu knocked on her door early in the morning, telling her that the Hokage requested her presence. She chose to walk the streets instead of going roof to roof because no one was out and she didn't to worry about glaring villagers.

Like usual, she just walked into the office and waved at the Hokage, "Hey Old Man!"

He smiled, and motioned for her to sit. "Do you know why you're here Naruto?" he asked.

She thought for a second, "I didn't pull any pranks recently, so I know I'm not in trouble. It has to do with that Grass ninja who attacked Sasuke, doesn't it?"

He nodded, "I need you to tell me everything that happened as soon as you entered the forest."

Naruto sighed. _How many times in the past few days have I had to tell this story? I can't brush over it either! _

"Okay. I noticed the markings on the scrolls and told my team about seals and such. I then suggested that when we get in the forest, I make some shadow clones who could go off and pretend to be team seven while we headed for the tower. After that, we were jumping through the trees and something shook the forest. Sakura and I missed our landing and fell. Sasuke was able to save Sakura, but a large gust of wind came and blew me away," Naruto said looking out the window.

Her lip curled in disgust at what came next. "I awoke to the sound of hissing and tried to dodge this huge snake. It was faster than I thought, and I got swallowed. I'm embarrassed to say that I lost it in there and Kurama had to do all of thinking for me. He told me to create a lot of Shadow Clones, which caused the snake to explode! I was covered in snake guts," she shuddered. "I don't like snakes anymore."

She took a deep breath, "After getting over that, I returned to my team by following the grooves in the forest floor. There was a Grass ninja beating Sasuke to a pulp. I saw her neck get longer, and she bit Sasuke right here." She rubbed the crook of her neck. "When a purple energy came from the wound, I acted, and used The Demonic Fox Style Unholy Flames that Kurama taught me. The ninja recoiled and I got Sasuke to Sakura before turning to fight the creepy chick."

Naruto shook her head, "I then used the second jutsu, Demonic Fox Style Raging Furnace. The woman was _laughing_ at me as she burned. Her skin peeling away to reveal healthy skin beneath. It was so gross!" She sneered at the memory.

"I had finally gotten to Demonic Fox Style Burning Judgement, but when she realized that I was serious, she began to sink into the fire below her and her presence disappeared. I then took Sakura and Sasuke to a safe place and had Sakura on guard after I told her what the mark was. Using my chakra, I was able to break one of the tomoe's making the mark useless. Then, with Kurama's chakra, I was able to disintegrate the rest of it. I used too much chakra and passed out though," she frowned. _I really need to work on that._

Sarutobi nodded his head. "Anything else that was a major factor?"

Naruto shook her head, "Not really."

He sighed, "I have to tell you, that Grass ninja, wasn't a Genin, or a woman, or even from Grass Country."

Naruto glared, "I knew it couldn't have been a Genin! I'm better than all of the Genin and most Chunin, so there was no way, that that _thing_ was a Genin!" She smirked, proud of the fact that she was right. "So….what was it?"

"His name is Orochimaru. He is an S Class missing ninja that is bent on living forever. His Cursed Mark of Heaven, that you removed from Sasuke, gives the person marked undeniable amounts of power. He then trains them to be strong enough, and takes their body when the time is right. By going from body to body, he can live as long as he wants, while at the same time, he's gathering the powers of the people he's overtaken. We don't know much other than that," Sarutobi explained.

Naruto's eyes were large. _That creep was trying to get Sasuke's body! EW! But why?! _She thought about the gathering power part. "Is he after the Sharingan?"

Hiruzen Sarutobi nodded sagely, "Correct. It is said that when he was still in the village, he took an interest in Itachi, Sasuke's older brother, but probably couldn't sway him. So, he set his sights on Sasuke, who has made it his goal to gain ultimate power in order to kill his brother, which of course you know why."

"So, what now?"

Hiruzen sighed, "We have to keep an eye out for Orochimaru now, in case he tries anything else. I'm pretty sure he's connected to the marks, because he can activate them at any time. The proctor for the Second Exam, Mitarashi Anko, has a mark as well. She ran into him in the forest and he used it on her in order to get away."

Naruto was beyond pissed. Some creep was going around cursing people and taking their bodies and powers. And he was trying to do so with Sasuke! Pedophile. That was all that Naruto could think. He was a pedophile!

"So, has he attacked children before?" she asked.

"Yes. He kidnapped a group of children and experimented his Cursed Mark on them. I caught him in the act and he got away, because I couldn't bring myself to kill him. Now he's come back, all because I made a mistake," he looked down in shame.

"Why couldn't you kill him?"

"He was my student at one point, and I couldn't kill him because of it," Sarutobi sighed. "Yes, Naruto. Even _I_ make mistakes," he nodded solemnly.

"I don't blame you Gramps. I don't think I could do it either if it was my student," she smiled at him.

"Okay. I think we've had enough of the depressing stuff. Are you going to start training for the Third Exam?" he asked.

"Yeah! I think I'm going to go to the one place I never wanted to go, ever again…..the library," she sighed.

"I thought you liked to read?" Hiruzen asked, confused.

"To get smarter, but that's it. I don't actually like reading, so I have a Shadow Clone do it for me. I really don't like looking for all of the books either," she groaned at the thought.

He laughed at her annoyance, "I see. Well, I'll let you go. I have a lot of paper work to do now."

"Okay Gramps, have fun!" she smiled, running from the room.

She blew past the missions room, only to skid to a halt when she saw who was leaving. It was Kakashi!

"Hey sensei!" she called.

He looked up and waved, "Yo!"

"I need to ask you something," she told him, assuming a serious pose.

He sighed, "Sorry, but I can't train you Naruto. I'm already training Sasuke."

"Huh?" she mumbled in confusion. ""That wasn't what I was going to ask," she frowned, annoyed that he would just assume.

His shoulders dropped, "Oh. So…...what did you need then?"

She scratched the back of her head in concentration, "Well, I wanted to know if you could suggest some lightning jutsu for me? I know that you have lightning affinity, so I figured I'd ask you."

Though she couldn't see his face, she knew his mouth was open in awe.

"I thought you said you had wind affinity?" he asked.

She smirked, "I do. Lightning is my second."

He stood there in wonder. His silence was a little unnerving, so she decided to tell him more, in hopes of getting a response. "The Fox has fire and earth, which, when I use his chakra, allows me to do the same. I don't really know that many lightning jutsu though and I can't do water to save my life," she told him with a smile.

"So…...you're saying that you don't need help for training at all? And all you wanted was a list of jutsu?" he asked after another moment of silence.

She nodded.

"I had gotten someone to train you too," he sighed with a shake of his head.

Her eyes bulged, "Really? Who?"

Kakashi pointed to something behind her, "Him."

She turned and blanched. Konohamaru's stuck up sensei, Ebisu was standing right...behind...her! His glasses shining in a creepy way!

She regarded him for a moment, before saying, "No."

Both Jonin stiffened and Ebisu's mouth turned downward. "Why not?" he demanded.

She glared as hard as she could. "_You_ don't like me because of my _tenant_," She sneered, loving how both men jerked in response. Holding her hand to her chest, she continued, "_I_ don't like _you_, because you're just another self righteous bastard who judges me for something that I had no control over. I have to desire to waste my precious time on someone who doesn't respect me and even denies me the right to exist."

Having said her peace, she turned back to Kakashi, "So, have any ideas? Because I have to go to the library and I'd prefer going into that hell hole, knowing what I'm looking for."

Kakashi glanced from her to Ebisu and back again. It was obvious that they didn't like each other. To say that Naruto shocked Ebisu was an understatement. The Jonin's mouth was wide open in disbelief. It was apparent that Naruto had no qualms about putting someone in their place.

He listed off a few jutsu for the kid and sent him on his way.

"You know," he said to the now quiet hallway. "A real monster would've killed everyone by now. Not waste their time in trying to gain everyone's respect when they can just kill those who oppose them," he stated before walking off and leaving Ebisu to his own devices.

Naruto sat at Ichiraku's for lunch, rifling through a book all about lightning jutsu.

"So Naruto, are there any cute boys in the Chunin Exams?" Ayame asked while she cleaned the bar.

Naruto closed her book, "Well, there's Kiba, Choji and Shikamaru but I'm not really into them. There's this guy named Rock Lee, who wears a green spandex leotard with orange leg warmers that hide his leg weights. He has a bowl cut though, so I wasn't really attracted. He has admirable ambition, I'll give him that. He's also really in love with Sakura." She snickered at memory of him fawning over her.

"There are these two guys from Oto, but neither were doing it for me, and I broke the one dudes arm for groping me," she told her long time friend.

Ayame gasped, "Ninja are pretty gutsy to go around grabbing people like that!"

She had to agree. Though Zaku wouldn't feel the same.

"There's Neji Hyuga. I think he's attractive, just like teme, but their attitudes are a total turnoff. Thinking that you're high and mighty all because you're from a respected clan gets on my nerves and they _both_ do it!" she growled out. Seriously, those two need the sticks removed from their asses.

"Finally there are two guys from Suna. The one dresses in this weird outfit that makes him look like a cat, so I named him Kitten. He also wears war paint in weird designs on his face. I like to tease him and call it make up though. He's fun to annoy," she smiled fondly. It was really fun to rile him up.

Then, she got serious, "The other guy, is Kitten's brother. His name is Gaara."

Ayame noticed her stop and looked over. Naruto was blushing.

"What's he like?" she asked, excited for more information.

"He's like me, in a way." she said quietly.

Ayame paused in what she was doing and took a seat next to her young friend. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Naruto sighed, "We are the same, except he never had any friends. He's really bloodthirsty, and seems to enjoy killing people. He stated that he will kill me, because I'm strong and he even put _this_ _thing _on me, so that I wouldn't forget." She fingered the collar.

"I sympathize, because I know what he went through, and I really want to help him. I also think he's cute," she trailed off, blushing even more.

"What does he look like?" Ayame grinned, happy that he little friend had finally showed an interest in someone.

"His hair is blood red and he has seafoam green eyes that are ringed in black because he has severe insomnia. There is a tattoo of the word 'love' in katakana lettering above his left eye and he has a really deep voice," she explained blushing at the detail she used.

"When he put this collar on me, I threatened to shove a rotating kunai up his butt though. He just laughed and then said something about maybe he wouldn't kill me, whatever that means," she murmured in confusion.

Ayame giggled, "Well, you definitely like him, even though he put a collar on you. I think that he likes you too. Does he know that you're a girl?"

Naruto nodded, "His demon told him."

"Has he touched you in any way?" she pressed eagerly.

"He grabbed my arm twice and when I threatened him, he wrapped his hand in my hair," Naruto told her.

Ayame wiggled in her chair and squealed, "He likes you! You should hit on him the next time you see him!"

Naruto gasped, "Why?!"

Ayame giggled, "Well, you understand him, probably more than anyone ever will. You like how he looks and he obviously enjoys taunting you. He's made the effort to touch you and didn't get angry when you threatened him. He's even staked claim to you by putting that collar on you. You're _his_. whether you're _his_ to kill or his for other reasons doesn't matter. It's a sign of possession."

_**Listen to her Kit! She knows what she'd talking about! **_

_Okay._

Naruto nodded, "Maybe I'll be nicer to him next time I see him."

Ayame smiled and jumped out of her seat.

She moved into the back to get Naruto's food leaving Naruto to the peace of her own mind.

_He is really cute!_

_**Naruto and Gaara, sittin' in a tree!**_

_Fuck you Kurama!_

When she finished at Ichiraku's, she decided to head towards the area of the village that had a lot of natural springs. There, she could work on her training. Lightning and water don't mix, so she figured that if she trained with lightning while standing on water, it would give her enough incentive to get it down quicker.

When she reached a good place, she noticed that someone was already there. It was a old guy with long white hair and a large scroll on his back. He was giggling and writing something in a notebook.

When got closer she understood why. From where he was, he had a good spot to watch a bunch of women play around in the pool of water that Naruto had intended to use for her training.

She shook her head. _This guy is one of the biggest perverts I've ever seen!_

_**But, he's a smart pervert for picking a vantage point where none of them will see him, and he can't get injured.**_

_Why do you sound proud? Do you condone this kind of behavior?!_

_**Well…..**_

_Shut up Kurama!_

_**You asked!**_

She frowned and looked back at the giggling man. He had yet to notice her presence, even though the scroll on his back most likely meant that he was a ninja. To let such a thing as nearly naked women be the thing that nearly gets you killed, disgraceful.

She took a deep breath and, "Hey pervert!"

He jumped and fell over. The women in the pool heard her yell and all screamed as well, quickly getting their things and running away.

"Look what you've done! You just ruined my research kid!" the guy growled giving her a glare.

She snorted, "Research for what you pervert?"

He fully turned to her and crossed his arms, "I'll have you know that I am not a pervert!"

Before she could comment he was talking again, "I'm a super pervert!"

"Like that's any better!" she threw her arms up in annoyance.

"Who are you anyway, perv?!"

He smirked, "Well, I'm glad you asked." He clapped his hands, "_I_ am The Legendary Toad Sage of Mount Myoboku! The woman pleasing Toad Sannin and the amazing author of Icha Icha Paradise!"

He assumed a dramatic pose and waited for her response.

She stared for a few seconds before finally saying something. _This guy is one of the Legendary Three? Yeah right! _"You know old man, I've read part of that book before and now that I know who you are, I can finally tell you, that I'm unimpressed, Pervy Sage," she told him with a bored expression.

His smile dropped and he glared, "What?! Don't call me that!"

"Well, it's what you are! And you were so proud to tell me that you're a 'super pervert'!" she countered.

They glared at each other for awhile. Naruto wanted him to leave soon so she could train and didn't feel like it with him around.

"You disrespectful little brat! You're supposed to respect your elders! What did your parents teach you?!" he frowned.

She flinched a little and looked away, "I don't have any parents."

His eyes grew a little wide. She glared at him again, "Can you go now? I need to train and I'd prefer it if _you_ weren't here."

Jiraiya sighed, "Look kid-"

She cut him off by raising her left hand, "No! There are no more girls here, therefore you have no reason to stay."

He gave her an odd look but nodded and left quickly.

_Man, he was annoying! _

She moseyed on down to the water and removed all of her extra baggage. Leaving her shoes with all of her other things on the rocks, she stepped onto the water.

_What one should I try first?_

_**How about that Electric Pulse thing? All you have to do is surround your body with your lightning chakra and then push it outward!**_

Naruto nodded, _Okay!_

She centered her chakra and began to change it, letting blue sparks travel along her body.

_**Make sure you build up a good amount of power!**_

She nodded and added more in. Then with great force, pushed it away from her body.

What happened next shocked her. Literally. She forgot about the standing on water part of her training, and when the lightning hit the water, she got electrocuted!

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!" her scream echoed across the water. Her body convulsed madly and she sank from losing her control.

When the tremors finally stopped, she was able to get to the surface. Finally breathing air, she noticed that it was no longer quiet. Laughter was ringing loudly in her ear.

_Shut up Kurama!_

The fox was laughing at her!

_**Sorry, I just wanted to see if you were paying attention! You weren't! Otherwise you would've noticed the danger in doing what I suggested!**_

She growled to herself. _You're such a prick!_

More laughter reached her ears and she turned her head to see the Pervy Sage!

"What are you doing here?!" she shouted in anger.

He continued to laugh for a moment before he calmed down enough to answer. "When you held your hand out, I noticed the seal and it got me interested, so I hung around. And I have to say, that I'm glad I did!" he laughed some more.

"Oh, shut up Pervy Sage!" she frowned, swimming to shore.

"So boy, who put that seal on you?" Jiraiya asked ignoring her comment.

She gave him a scrutinizing glare, "Hm. You aren't frequent in the village enough, so hiding from you wouldn't matter in the least."

He gave her a confused look, "What?"

She reached up and pulled the zipper of her jacket down revealing the skin tight mesh shirt she wore underneath. "I'm a girl, you old perv," she said, laying the jacket down by her stuff.

His mouth dropped, "You're hiding the fact that you're a girl?! Under that, that coat?! HOW?! WHY?!"

She looked at him like he was stupid. It wasn't like she was big breasted or anything! She at least matched that Suna girl Temari. It wasn't like she was hauling around something impressive!

She noticed his eyes losing focus and his face broke out into a goofy grin.

She snapped her fingers to get his attention, "Hey! I'm way too young for you dude, I'm only thirteen!"

He face fell in sadness. He sighed, "What's your name kid?"

She debated on telling him. Would he try and stalk her once she left?

"No, I'm not going to stalk you," he told her, making her worry.

"The need to have to assure me, means that you've done this before," she accused. "I don't think I want to tell you," she decided, turning away.

"Hey! I told you who I am! It's only respectful to give your own name in return!"

She looked over her shoulder and with narrowed eyes, answered him,  
"I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Jiraiya watched the girl train. He kept quiet as he mulled over the information. This was the Jinchuuriki for the Kyuubi no Youko. And, she was Minato and Kushina's daughter. That shocked him, seeing as how he was never told that their child was a girl.

_I even thought __**those**_ _kind of thoughts about her! I __**am**_ _a pervert!_

Several hours passed and he was able to see her master a lightning jutsu, except this time she was smart enough not to let it touch the water.

"So Naruto, why do you pretend to be a boy?" he asked when the kid was taking a break.

"Ugh…..something almost happened when I was younger because the villagers hate me. Pretending to be a boy has saved me from anything like _that_ ever happening," she mumbled, watching the water.

"It's because of the Fox correct?" he asked shocking her more than the jutsu did!

"You knew?!"

He shook his head, "Not until you said your name. Then, when I added all of the information I got out of you, it all came together."

"Information?" she asked.

"Yeah, your age and the fact that you have no parents. It all clicked," he told her with a grin.

"Now, lets talk about something not so depressing. Is lightning your element?"

She gaped at him and shook her head, "No, it's my second. I don't know many lightning jutsu though, and I figured I should learn some more."

He nodded in understanding, "And the seal on your palm? I can see that it's a Containment Seal, but there's something off about it."

Her mouth dropped again, "I, well, when I found out about the Fox, his name is Kurama by the way, I learned about the seal. I got interested and soon, I was studying them. They provide a certain balance, because I suck at Genjutsu. So, I filled the gap with Fuuinjutsu." She inhaled, "You're right, it is a Containment Seal, but I modified it a bit so that it could be directly placed on the skin, giving me an extra storage place for my weapons."

His eyes were wide, "You really did that? And you know the Fox's name?!"

She nodded, "We've been partners and friends for a long time. He heals me, trains me, teaches me and is _there_ when no one else is. He also helps me to keep a level head, and most of the time prevents me from doing stupid things. And his name is Kurama!"

Jiraiya looked at her in awe. The kid had befriended the beast that was sealed within her and decided to learn about seals because she knew that she was bad in Genjutsu. A smart move, allowing her to keep her skills even.

"Okay, okay, Kurama happy?" When she nodded, he continued, "So, why are you training so hard kid?"

"The Chunin Exams. We have a month to train for the Third Exam and I figured that I should learn more jutsu, for it. I'll study some more Fuuinjutsu and hunt down Hayate sensei and ask him to test my Kenjutsu skills. I don't really have anything else that I can think of," she rubbed her head in thought.

"So Hayate finally took on a Genin team?" Jiraiya asked, feeling a little nostalgic.

"No. He just trained me in Kenjutsu when he saw me training one day," she shrugged.

"So you know Kenjutsu and Fuuinjutsu as a way to make up for your failure in Genjutsu? Smart," he complimented with a smile.

She grinned. Finally someone who saw that there was a method to her madness!

He studied her for awhile before smiling, "Tell you what kid. I'll take you on as my apprentice and teach you things that'll make your head spin!"

"Why would you want to teach me?"

He blushed and looked away, "Well, I know a lot about you kid. I can't tell you everything until you're sixteen, but I guess I can tell you this."

She was watching him closely. _He knows about me?_

"I'm your Godfather."

She froze. Naruto stared at him as if he had two heads. Was it true?

"Wait! If you really are my Godfather, then all of that money that Gramps has been giving me all these years…."

He nodded, "I couldn't be there because of my job and I was ordered not to search for you until you were a certain age. So, I sent money to Sarutobi sensei and he would designate how much you got and how much to save for emergencies."

"Why weren't you allowed to find me?" her voice was quiet, almost inaudible.

"The Hokage's advisors forbade me from from taking you. One, because of my spy network which is dangerous and two…." he trailed off.

"Two…..?"

"You're a Jinchuriki. Many villages deliberately create Jinchuuriki and use them as weapons of war. All of the Civilian Council and a couple of the Shinobi Council wanted to lock you up and turn you into the perfect weapon. The rest of the Shinobi Council along with Sarutobi sensei and his advisors put a stop to that idea, but in return for helping to keep you from such an upbringing, the advisors made it so that I couldn't approach you. They felt it was only fair, because it was weakening their weapon," he told her.

"I did what I could from a distance. Since it was _you_ who found _me_, _I_ didn't break any rules and they can't complain. I promise you kid, when you're of age, I'll tell you everything about you parents," he smiled a little, trying to cheer her up.

"Can I know one thing?" she asked hesitantly.

Jiraiya nodded, deciding that the kid deserved that much.

"Did they, love me?'

Such a simple question held so much emotion. He gave her his best smile," Very much."

Her own smile could rival the brightness of the sun, "Thanks Pervy Sage!"

He frowned at the name, but he let it pass. Why ruin the moment?

"Do you have anywhere you want to meet tomorrow?" he asked.

She scratched her chin, "Ichiraku's!"

Jiraiya sighed, _**Great**__! Another ramen lover!_

"Okay then. See you at noon kid!" he said.

She watched as he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

_I'm going to be trained!_

_**Yeah! By an old pervert!**_

_I'm going to be trained by an old pervert, who is my Godfather!_ Her face paled, _Oh no!_

Naruto decided to go visit the Old Man, just to get his confirmation on the Pervy Sage. Like usual, she ignored the people in the Hokage Tower and just barged straight into his office, "Hey Gramps!"

She paused to see the Pervy Sage sitting on the Old Man's desk!

Sarutobi smiled at her appearance, "Hello Naruto! What can I help you with?!"

She looked from Jiraiya to Sarutobi, wondering what to do. A slight noise from behind her, alerted her of a presence. Three to be exact.

She moved aside and turned to the door in time to see Konohamaru charge into the office. His foot however caught on his long scarf and he tripped, landing flat on his face.

Moegi and Udon were much slower. They stopped in the doorway when they saw their leader on the ground.

Naruto and Sarutobi sighed. Jiraiya just sat back and watched.

Naruto knelt down beside the fallen youth, "You know, if you got rid of the scarf, you wouldn't fall as much." she told him, fingering the cloth.

He sat up, rubbing his sore head. "But boss, you wear orange all the time because it's your thing! People know who you are just by seeing the outfit you wear! The scarf is my thing. I want people to know who I am when they see the scarf!"

She sighed. It was true that the orange got her attention, but most of it wasn't all that great. She didn't feel like telling him that though, "So…..are you here for the daily challenge?"

He shook his head, "Nah! I just wanted to see Grandpa. They followed because we're ditching Ebisu sensei."

"Well, I understand that he sucks so much that you want to get away from him, but you can't just ditch all the time. You need to learn something," she told him.

He just shrugged it off, "He's lame! We never learn anything when we actually listen. It's stuff that we already know!"

"Honorable Grandson! Come back this instant!"

Naruto frowned when Ebisu ran into the room. What was so hard about using someone's name?

"Dude! He has a name! Use it!" she yelled.

Ebisu gave her a look, "It's what he is!"

"Oh, so, it's okay to just go around ignore using their names deliberately just so you yourself can seem all cool?!" she demanded.

He sputtered for words but found none.

"Fine! I'll just ignore all respect and call you what I want! Your new name is Asshole," she told him with a smirk.

Sarutobi and Jiraiya gasped, "Naruto!"

She ignored their affronted words and turned to the three midgets, "If I hear you repeating any of the bad words that are about to come out of my mouth, I'll put you through a day in hell."

The three nodded vigorously.

She then turned back to the embarrassment of a sensei and began to tap her foot.

He finally got up the nerve to answer her, "How dare you speak to me like that! Even after I was kind enough to offer to train you!'

She snorted, "More like Kakashi sensei has a high influence and you couldn't really say no. It wasn't like you have anything important to do anyway!"

"I have to teach these children!" he shouted, pointing to his students.

"Oh really? What have you taught them that has actually benefited them in any way? You brainwashed Konohamaru into thinking that if he followed your every word, he'd become Hokage quicker! You let the kid think that there was a shortcut to such a title! There isn't! To reach that level, you need to train through blood, sweat and tears!" she shouted in his face.

"Hell! I've taught them more than you have! They know the tree climbing exercise and have all perfected their aim because of me! Nothing you did helped them at all! In fact, they tell me all the time that they never learn anything from you because you repeat what they already know! And how would I know that? Because they get away from you all the time! I have no idea how you made Tokubetsu Jounin when you can't even keep track of three little preschoolers!" she added, completely annoyed with him.

His mouth was agape. Her foot began to tap out a more irritated rhythm.

"Naruto I think you're being a little harsh," Sarutobi said trying to rid the room of the tension that had built up.

"Sorry Gramps, but I'm going to spare Asshole's feelings!" she told him, crossing her arms. "So, Asshole. How does it feel to be told that you're worthless? Do you like it when your name isn't acknowledged, or does it get your jollies off?!" she taunted.

Ebisu was looking at the ground.

"Does it _bother_ you that your _precious_ students show _me_, the Fox brat, more respect than you?!" she continued, adding insult to injury.

"You…." he began, but paused.

"Hm? What was that Asshole?" she sneered.

"You aren't….a….brat. What you said this morning…...you were right," he looked up, catching her eyes. "I _was_ judging you for something that was beyond your control. I apologise for letting my personal feeling for something else, travel to you. You didn't deserve it."

Her jaw dropped. She wasn't expecting an apology from him. She never got one before so it really had a confusing effect on her.

She looked over to Sarutobi who was smiling and nodding. That must've meant that it was a sincere apology. She turned back to Ebisu who had yet to look away from her face.

She sighed, "Okay. I accept your apology, so long as you forgive me for goading you. I knew that I overstepped my bounds. Even though I was right, it wasn't my business to say anything. Next time, if you feel anything negative, come and talk to me before you assume."

They nodded at each other and she faced the kids. "Okay, you three. I know that it's fun to ditch and all, but maybe the reason why he keeps repeating everything, is because you guys always leave." She then turned to Ebisu, "Sensei, I suggest that you give them an assessment test. They are much smarter than you think they are."

Ebisu nodded in shock, surprised at how the situation had been flipped around. He then bowed to the Hokage and left.

Naruto yawned, stretching her arms out. "Now that the heavy stuff is over, you midgets hungry?"

The preschoolers began jumping up and down, "Yeah!"

She pushed them toward the door. Looking over her shoulder she said, "I'll talk to you later Gramps!"

Jiraiya turned to his sensei and laughed, "She is certainly a lively one! I thought she was level headed before. Boy was I wrong!"

Hiruzen laughed as well, "Yes, she is a handful! At least she hasn't pulled any pranks lately."

He turned and opened the left drawer of his desk. A pop sounded and his face was covered in orange paint.

Jiraiya laughed even harder, "Are you sure about that?!"

"Naruto!"

The next few weeks were rough on Naruto. Jiraiya proved that age wasn't everything, and repeatedly kicked her ass in training! He absolutely refused to go easy on her in anything because he felt that it would be an insult to her. Just because she was female, didn't mean she couldn't handle it, and he intended to treat her like everyone else!

The first time he put her through a tree she was shocked! He didn't ease into it at all! There was no basics or beginning methods. It was the, 'I'm coming at you with everything I have, so you better learn to dodge', kind of training.

It was funny when he attempted to teach her how to summon, and she told him she already could. He had demanded to see proof and she did so, summoning a seven tailed fox named Hono, using Kurama's chakra.

Jiraiya insisted that she learn how to summon toads like him, and told her to use her other hand to summon them. That way, one hand was for foxes and the other was for toads. It also gave her a one up because not many people had two different animal summons.

He challenged her to summon the biggest toad she could and she complied, bringing out the big boss, Gamabunta. He wasn't the happiest of creatures and demanded to know why Jiraiya summoned him when there was no danger.

Naruto began screaming about how she was the one to summon him and he completely ignored her, saying that it wasn't possible for someone so small to summon him. When she pressed the issue further, he dared her to prove it. So, using Kurama's chakra again, she summoned Hono.

Gamabunta had sighed and agreed to let her sign the contract. She made sure to use her left hand so that he summoning wouldn't get mixed up in any way.

She trained really hard for the rest of the day. By dinner, she made it to Ichiraku's and ate as much ramen as she wanted, because Jiraiya had given her the last three days before the Third Exam off.

Ayame forced her to eat a banana, in which she was _not_ happy. Banana's were nasty, but apparently, she had to eat more _healthy_ food.

The rest of the day was boring. She lounged around for a while, but decided to go out and walk.

It was dark, but she wasn't tired. The night life, usually consisting of shinobi, was in full swing because of the Exam. People from all over the countries were coming into the village to see the matches. This helped with the economy and gave others a look at what Konohagakure was made of. Then, there was a festival in two days.

The wind shifted,and she shivered at the evil she felt. Her direction changed and she went to find what was giving off such scary killing intent. She had a pretty good idea though.

Coming upon Kikyo Castle she saw a figure sitting atop one of the shibi. It was Gaara and he was clutching his head. On the other side of the roof, stood one of the Oto ninja.

_I think his name was Doru._

_**Dosu, Kit!**_

_Why should I care about that?! Anyway, what the hell is going on?_

_**It's simple really. Shukaku is demanding blood, and Gaara is losing it. Dosu probably tried to attack Gaara and now he will be the sacrifice needed. Don't go any closer, or Gaara might decide that'll he wants to kill you now instead of later.**_

Naruto sighed and jumped into a nearby tree. Gaara was watching Dosu, and Dosu was making all kinds of movements. Gaara stood and hopped off the shibi and onto the roof.

He was hunched over, so she couldn't see his face.

She could see Dosu's face though. He looked terrified. Whatever he saw in Gaara's eyes, must've stopped him.

The sand began pouring out of the gourd and Dosu took a step back.

Naruto watched as Gaara waved his arm and sent the sand at the Oto ninja. The rooftop was destroyed and Dosu took the attack head on. Then the sand slowly encased his form, until nothing could be seen.

Gaara's palm was out facing the sand blob, his fingers slowly closing in. Dosu's screams could be heard and Naruto watched in horror as Gaara quickly made a fist causing the sand to moved and an explosion of blood to rain on the area.

_He just squeezed that guy to death!_

_**I suggest that you get out of there. Who knows if that'll satisfy him.**_

Naruto nodded and turned to leave.

"**What's the matter, are you running away vixen**?"

Naruto was shaken, and turned to see Gaara leaning against the tree trunk, eyes fixated on her!

She moved back a bit, "There is no way that you sensed me!"

He smirked, and raised his hand, running his fingers over the collar, "_This_ is made from my sand. Though I can't sense you, I can sense _it_. No matter where you go in this village, I can find you."

_Is it me, or is that a little creepy?_

_**It is. But, at least he can't tell where you are, so he doesn't know about when you shower or anything like that.**_

She shuddered. If Gaara knew when she was showering, she'd immediately remove the collar, somehow.

"Okay then. What do you want?" she asked folding her arms.

"Nothing of great importance," he shrugged.

She let out a frustrated breath, "If you have nothing to say, I'm leaving."

She turned only to be caught the arm. "What?" she whined in annoyance.

"Why did you come here?"

She paused. _Why did I come here?_

_**You're too curious for your own good.**_

_Fuck you!_

Kurama just laughed, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'm a little on the curious side. I felt something bad and decided to check it out," she answered trying to pull her arm away.

His grip only tightened, "And then you were about to leave. Are you scared of me?"

She snorted, "Not so much you, more like your barely existing sanity. You want to kill me. When, well I don't know, but I'd prefer it not be today. Besides, you're not exactly in the right frame of mind."

"Oh?" he asked pulling her closer. "How would _you_ know that?"

"You have an easy time killing people. You shouldn't, even if you have a demon inside you," she frowned. "Let go!" she demanded.

He ignored her and wrapped his other arm around her waist. "I can kill you any time I want," he whispered. His hand brushed the collar, "All I have to do is tighten _this_, and your blood will run."

She shivered….from revulsion.

_**Keep telling yourself that Kit!**_

_Shut up!_

Gaara gave a small laugh, "But….I've decided that I don't want to kill you. You are too interesting for me to kill."

"Gee…..great. Sorry if I'm not super excited, but I can tell that you have something else in mind. And if you aren't going to kill me, take this thing off now!" she ordered, trying to pull the collar off.

"No. You are still mine. Even if I don't kill you," he insisted.

_That's it! I'm annoyed!_

_**You like it that's he's all possessive. Don't try to deny it Kit, I know everything you're thinking. **_

_Can I please be in denial, so that I don't have to admit that I'm attracted to creep who gets off on killing?_

_**Nope. And you just said that you are attracted, so too bad.**_

"Don't forget," Gaara's voice whispered in her ear. "You're mine, and I won't let that Uchiha or any of the others have you," he growled, before disappearing in a swirl of sand.

She stood there for a few more minutes, before heading home.

_Good grief! What did he mean by 'Uchiha or any of the others'?_

_**You're blinder than a bat. Even though most of them think that you're a boy, they are still attracted to you!**_

_What?! _

_**That's why the Uchiha was all angry when you talked to the Nara boy, and why he interrupted Kiba's flirting in the preliminaries. Shikamaru was deliberately touching you so much to rile Sasuke up, and because he likes you. **_

_Since when?! And why do they like me?!_

_**I'm not going to explain it if you can't see what's so clearly there.**_

_Ass._

The next morning was uneventful. She ate and apple and went for a walk. She ran into Sakura who said she was visiting Lee and asked her to say 'Hi' for her.

By mid afternoon, she was really regretting taking the day off. She had eaten Ichiraku already and saw some people around town. She even went looking for Konohamaru and his gang, but was unsuccessful.

By evening she had officially had the most boring day of her life.

It was only when a weird feeling caught her attention, that things livened up. And it wasn't even the good kind of lively either.

_Is killing all he thinks about?!_

_**It would seem so Kit.**_

Naruto ran toward where she knew Gaara was. She skidded to a halt in front of the hospital and gasped. Why was Gaara in the hospital? Was he planning on killing someone there?

_**Who could be in there that he would want to kill? No one injured him or anything. **_

_No, but Lee actually hit him!_

_**That could do it. The match was stopped before he could kill the kid, so maybe.**_

_Oh God! He came to kill Lee!_

She ran around the building and looked for an open window. The hospital staff weren't the nicest, and usually, if she wasn't injured, wouldn't let her inside. The killing intent grew stronger and she coughed. _How can he feel this much? It's so hard to breathe!_

_**Bloodlust Kit. He's become so used to it, it's second nature to him now.**_

_Even though the villagers hate me, I've never felt anything like this from them! Just what did he go through to make him like this?!_

She found the window she needed and jumped inside, only to be met with the sight of Gaara wrapping Lee's unconscious form in sand. At that same moment, Shikamaru burst through the door and performed his Shadow Possession Jutsu to stop Gaara.

Shikamaru sighed in relief, "Naruto, thank goodness you're here!"

"I had to try and stop him," she shrugged.

Gaara was forced to turn to Shikamaru and his eyes widened at the boy. "I have to kill him. For landing a hit, he must die!" he growled out.

"Not on our watch pal. We can't let you hurt Lee for no good reason," Shikamaru frowned.

"I'll kill you if you get in my way," Gaara smiled maliciously at him.

"Dude, you don't need to kill him!" Naruto insisted, jumping over the bed, and landing next to the Nara..

Gaara smiled at her, "Of course I do! It's what I live for! To prove my existence by killing the very first person to ever hit me, will make me feel truly alive!"

She shuddered, _That's how he sees it?_

Shikamaru scoffed, "How does that prove that you exist? I can see you just fine!"

Gaara laughed evilly, "I was born a monster. My father, the Kazekage, sealed a demon inside me, his own son, when I was still in the womb. The spirit of a corrupt priest named Shukaku lives inside my body. The sealing in turn, caused me to be born prematurely and in doing so, killed the woman who brought me into the world."

His smile grew maniacal, "I was given everything I wanted, and was spoiled. For a long time, I thought that was my fathers way of showing me that he loved me. But I was wrong."

"You just said that you were spoiled, so how could you be wrong?!" Shikamaru demanded.

Naruto was shaking, because she knew where this whole conversation was going.

"Everything was fine, until my father sent an assassin after me when I was six," Gaara told them.

Naruto and Shikamaru froze.

"I was The Kazekage Child. I was born to be the ultimate weapon. My father taught me all of the secrets of the village and gave me free reign to do as I pleased. But then, I became too much. The villagers began to notice that I had, _emotional issues_. People fear that which they don't understand. When my power increased, the fear in their hearts increased as well," Gaara explained.

"I failed at what I was born for. The Shukaku wasn't controlled like everyone had hoped. I was no longer needed, and they all wanted me dead. With my purpose gone, what did I have to live for? The assassinations become more frequent. One night, I finally understood, after killing an entire team of shinobi, what my purpose was. I was born to kill. Taking the life of my mother gave me life, and so taking the lives of others, sustains my life. I exist for the sole purpose of killing and as long as there are people in this world, my existence will never disappear!" Gaara finished.

Naruto was shaking slightly. _I can't believe it! He really is like me! Even down to the assassination attempts! He had nobody though. He was alone, and because of that, he decided that his purpose was to kill!_

_**Shukaku has really warped the boys brain Kit! It'll be a miracle if you can change him.**_

"I fight for myself and I love only myself. I kill to exist. That is what I am meant for," Gaara smiled. His sand began to moved toward Shikamaru who was freaking out.

"He shouldn't be able to do that!" the Nara panicked.

Before the sand could reach him, the door opened and in stepped Maito Gai.

"Alright that's enough! Save your energy for the Third Exam!" the man ordered.

Gaara began to shake and his hands clutched his head, Shikamaru's jutsu doing nothing to hinder him.

_It didn't really stop him did it?! _she thought in fear.

Gaara's sand returned to the gourd on his back and he turned away from them, still clutching his head. He paused in the doorway, "One way or another, I will kill you Nara!"

He gave Naruto a look as he left and she nodded. _What does he want now?_

The room was quiet and Gai sighed, "Thank you for stopping him you two."

They all took a deep breath. Naruto threw him a grin, "Don't mention it Bushier Brow sensei!"

She and Shikamaru bowed to him, and left quickly.

"Gaara, has some serious issues," she mumbled.

"No kidding! We almost got killed! Man what a drag! I haven't been that scared in a long time!" Shikamaru sighed, holding his hand over his heart.

Naruto sighed, not feeling like telling him that Gaara wasn't really going to kill her, so she stayed silent.

"That was enough excitement for the rest of my life!" Shikamaru stretched.

Naruto nodded, "Well, uh, I have to go and see the Hokage. I was on my way there, when I sensed something bad."

Shikamaru smiled slightly, "Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Huh?" she asked in confusion.

"Your birthday. You'll get your gift tomorrow," the lazy boy yawned before waving at her and walking away.

_How long has he known about my birthday?_

Heaving a sigh, she walked down the hall. She was shocked to find that the hospital was almost empty! She could've just come in through the door!

Finally getting out of the building, she didn't make it three steps before sand was blocking her vision. _Great!_

He must have used a transportation jutsu with it because she was standing in front of Kikyo Castle, staring into his angry face.

_Shit!_

"What were you doing?" he asked in a deadly calm voice.

She let out an uncomfortable laugh, "Well, I was hoping that I could stop you from killing someone I may know."

"Why do you care about him?" he demanded. "You aren't his, you're mine!" the boy glared.

The air shifted and she could feel his anger. It was nearly tangible and she felt like her lungs weren't working.

_I think I'm going to puke!_

_**Make sure not to get any on him.**_

"Well, I don't really know him very well, but that doesn't mean I'm okay with you killing him! He has determination and a good heart. Killing him just because you want to isn't a good enough reason. It could also cause negative feelings between Konoha and Suna," she explained.

Gaara didn't like her answer, she could tell. His green eyes narrowed dangerously at her, "I don't care about that! I just want to kill him, that's all!"

"Well, in my book that's not good enough!" she yelled turning to leave.

He caught her arm, "Why are you so angry on his behalf? Or on any of their behalfs. You're just like me, but you let your _connections _and _emotions _hold you back! Why are you bothering to defend the people who shun you?"

"Because they saved me from myself," she said quietly, performing the transportation jutsu to get away from him.

_**He won't appreciate that you know?**_

_Whatever! I'll deal with that hurdle when it comes._

She sighed and turned to look at the Hokage Tower. Why had she chosen that place to go? With a shrug, she turned to go.

_**Perhaps you should tell the Hokage about your plans tomorrow.**_

_I have plans tomorrow?_

_**It's the tenth.**_

_Oh, my birthday. Shit!_

She turned back to the building, deciding to stop at the tower and tell the Old Man that she wouldn't be around the next day.

"Hey Gramps!" she yelled, barging into his office.

He looked up from his conversation with none other than Jiraiya and smiled. "Hello! What can I help you with?!"

She shrugged, "I came to inform you that I won't be around much tomorrow. I'll be chilling out around the Hokage Monument, in case you need me."

Sarutobi nodded and sighed.

Jiraiya frowned, "You don't want to spend your birthday with your friends?"

Her eyes bulged.

"I am your Godfather you know! I do know things!" he snorted, folding his arms.

"I don't go into the village on the tenth. I stay away from the population ever since my eighth birthday," she told him.

Jiraiya turned to his sensei with a cocked brow.

Sarutobi sighed once more, "Some of the villagers, in recent years, have taken it upon themselves to try and rid the world of the Kyuubi on their own. Naruto's apartment has been set ablaze every October tenth since she was eight."

Before Jiraiya could speak, Hiruzen was adding more, "Naruto learned about seals after the second time, and put one on the building so that any damage done would be reversed within the night. By the next morning, everything is back to normal. I have imprisoned those who were caught, but I can't catch all of them."

Jiraiya growled in annoyance. He then turned to Naruto and pulled out a book from nowhere! "Here. This is for you. If I won't see you tomorrow I'll give it to you now," he said, tossing it to her.

It was book on advanced seals! She grinned, "Thanks Pervy Sage!"

"Will you stop calling me that?!" he shouted.

"Will you stop being a pervert?!" she countered.

"Here Naruto, I'll also give you your gift early, "Said Hiruzen as he held out a large wrapped box.

She opened it quickly, and jumped up and down in excitement. It was a collection of special ramen bowls. All painted orange and each had her name written on them in a darker shade of orange, surrounded by blue swirls. "Thanks Gramps!" she cheered.

He smiled as she ran from the room, "She's a good kid."

The next day, Naruto sat on top of the Fourth Hokage's face on the Hokage Monument. It was a sad afternoon and she was bored sitting there for the past few hours.

The only ups were when Shikamaru and Hinata caught her on her way to the Monument. Shikamaru handed her a thick stack of Ichiraku's free coupons. Probably one of the best gifts she had ever gotten.

Hinata gave her a large orange bag with blue tissue paper. Inside, was the coolest trenchcoat she had ever seen! It was the same shade of orange as her jump suit but with black lining. Hinata advised that she wear it in the exam. That way, she could shed her jacket and show everyone the real her.

It was made with special enforced fibers so that it wouldn't wear or tear. That made it battle safe and she was seriously considering ditching the jacket.

Besides, if anyone tried to rape her now, she could just kick their ass. She was a ninja that was to be respected and not messed with!

By eight she had come down from her hiding place to get a good view. The Annual Burning of the Demon was going to start soon. Even though it was something that the villagers did in order to try and kill her, she still watched.

For the past three years she sat atop Kikyo Castle and watched as her apartment building burned to the ground. She would sit there all night and watch as the building would reform itself. She was glad that she was the only person living there, otherwise she'd have the deaths of others on her hands.

When she reached her usual place to sit, it was already occupied…...by Gaara. _As if yesterday wasn't awkward enough! Why does he have to be here!_

_**All of the examinees from the other countries, are staying here.**_

_Fuck you!_

He just laughed.

Gaara was watching her as she approached. His eyes a little wide.

"I'm not here to fight with you or anything," she told him with her palms raised.

"I'm just here to watch something," she continued sitting on the roof.

He sat atop one of the shachihoko shaped shibi, his eyes glaring down at her. She turned to watch the village, making sure to keep her guard up, just in case he tried something.

She stared off into the distance, waiting for the orange light to appear.

"What is it, that you are waiting for?" Gaara questioned.

"Well, the villagers have this festival every year. It's to celebrate the defeat of the Kyuubi. It's also a day of mourning, because the Yondaime died after sealing the fox away. Many of the villagers, who decide not to ignore me but _bless me _with their attention, take it upon themselve to rid the world of the demon that took their beloved Yondaime from them," she told him.

She pointed to a large building in the distance, "If you look over there, you'll see my apartment building going up in flames."

His eyes snapped in her direction, "Why do you bother to defend these weaklings when they try to kill you? You still fight for them even though they are making you homeless."

She shrugged, "Actually, I sealed the building so that it will automatically rebuild itself by morning."

He shook his head, "You should just kill every last one of them. They aren't important by any means. I can guarantee that fighting for only yourself is the best way to go."

"I don't see it that way. If I grew up exactly like you did, I probably would, but I can't make myself kill them just because they look at me the wrong way," she sighed.

"You're weak," he hissed.

She shrugged, not really caring about what he thought. "If that's what you think. Believe what you want," she said.

Her house was now steadily burning as they bickered. She frowned at green smoke that twisted around the orange pillar. _Wow! A poison gas as well! They went all out this year!_

She snickered to herself. The money they always wasted never helped them. Her house would be there again the next morning and they would raise hell about it. Maybe they'd realize that their attempts were all for naught.

She and Gaara sat there, arguing for the next few hours. When her apartment building was back to normal, she left the boy after wishing him 'good luck' in the exams.

He scoffed but nodded to her anyway, "Same to you. Don't die"

_Well this was the most interesting birthday I've ever had._

_**You said it!**_

**A/N: Hello! Another chapter down!**

**Hono- means 'flame'**

**Please review and tell me what you think! **

**Ja ne! :D **


	7. Ch 6 Third Exam(Shikamaru)

**A/N: Hello people! This is the next chapter.**

**!*THIS IS 'CHAPTER 6 SHIKAMARU'. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR 'CHAPTER 6 GAARA', PRESS THE 'NEXT' BUTTON*!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Kunoichi of the Moonlit Night(575****th**** reviewer) and Wannabe(600****th**** reviewer), you guys rock!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**I have no beta for this story, all mistakes are my own.**

***NOTE* Because Naruto is a girl, she is changing the characters. Sasuke is a lot nicer to her. Shikamaru isn't as lazy,(Which by the way, exclamation can be used without someone shouting.) Gaara, for his part, is a lot more playful and touchy. Again, this story is different.**

**Naruto understands where Gaara is coming from. She knows how he feels and what made him the person he is. That is why she doesn't take his threats all too seriously, and tries to be nice to him.**

**Another thing. I used parts from the show in different ways. In the show, Naruto does end up in the hospital and Shikamaru is there when he wakes up. They **_**do**_ **confront Gaara and all that. I used that in the Shikamaru version as a way to better their relationship.**

**In the show, Gaara **_**does**_ **kill Dosu, and he is often seen atop Kikyo Castle. I decided for the Gaara version, to have Naruto in those scenes, because there isn't much interaction between the two in the show for me to use in the story. **

**Also, there **_**was**_ **a festival during the Chunin exams, but it was one for the actual Exam. I changed it, to be the celebration of the defeat of the Kyuubi in order to give myself more to work with, as the plot line goes on. The funny thing is, that when Naruto went to bed, in the show, the night before the Third Exam, we see his calendar on the wall, and the number eleven is circled for the Third Exam. This gave me the chance to use the tenth as Naruto's birthday, because we didn't see the month shown on the calendar.(His B-day **_**is**_ **October 10th.)**

**Basically, half of each chapter is exactly the same, so that everything moves on smoothly. However, one story has Gaara and Naruto interaction and the other has Shikamaru and Naruto interaction. If you read both, sorry to tell you, but half of it will be repeated. !**_**Chapter 6 however, has different matchups, therefore, a different outcome!**_ ***NOTE***

**BTW! Any flames will be thrown back twice as hot. I **_**will**_ **use the Atomic Fireball Jutsu on your ass!**

**Enjoy! :D**

Naruto looked at her reflection. Her new trenchcoat made her look good! For some reason, she felt empowered.

_Is this what that Anko woman feels when she wears her coat?_

Even with the coat on, it was easy to tell that she was a girl. Hinata made sure that it was the right size so that she wasn't dwarfed like she usually was. Her mesh shirt and slim build just adding to the mix, making the whole ensemble awesome!

_Wow! My jacket hid so much! It's weird that no one noticed, but maybe it was just too oversized._

_**You never took that thing off either. And when anyone tried to get you to, you'd chew their heads off.**_

_Well, I really liked that jacket! Besides, I didn't like wrapping my chest, even though I had to, and I had to keep the jacket on at all times!_

_**Excuses excuses. I think you secretly wanted people to find out.**_

Naruto huffed and ignored him.

She opened her closet and got ready to prepare. Normal girls filled their closets with clothes or shoes. Things that made them happy. Naruto however, used her closet for weapons. It was like a wonderland and she had to quell her excitement when she looked at her collection of Fuma Shuriken.

_I should probably take one with me today __**and**_ _some of my __**special **__exploding tags._

She grinned at the thought of using one on Neji. The possibility of little Hyuga pieces littering the arena floor, was appealing.

With such a happy thought in mind, she proceeded to collect some _extra_ _special_ kunai, placing them into the Containment Seal on her hand.

_Should I-, nah!_

_**Keeping the element of surprise on your side Kit?**_

_You know it!_

Once she was all prepared, she headed off for the arena. As she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, she was intrigued by all of the lords and ladies that had come just to watch some kids duke it out. _I don't see what's so cool about kids fighting._

_**Think of it as wrestling, except it's real. And any injuries sustained, are real and leave actual scars. What happens in this exam can impact someone's life. Be it for the better or worse, who can tell? Pair that with the food being sold and they're getting a whole show.**_

_Oh! Wait! So we're just a form of entertainment for a bunch of rich jerks?_

_**Pretty much.**_

She rolled her eyes. People were so annoying.

"Hey boss!"

She stopped and looked around, spotting Konohamaru a few feet away.

His eyes bulged when he saw her, "You're a, a-"

"A girl. Yeah, I've been one for a while. What can I do for you?" she asked.

He was quiet for a couple seconds but shook his head, "I wanted to wish you good luck!"

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be in class?" she gave him a look.

"I snuck away so that I could find you and tell you to win!" the little boy shrugged.

"Okay, thank you. Now go to class, because I know from experience that Iruka sensei will come looking for you," she sighed.

"Sure thing boss lady!" the boy grinned and took off toward the academy.

_Now he's going to tell the other midgets to call me that._

_**At least they look up to you.**_

_True._

The arena was a _very_ large building. She stood outside for a few minutes just staring, wondering how big the inside was. The exam was starting in ten, and she if she should make a grand entrance!

_**The best entrances are always grand! Impractical, but grand!**_

_What should I do?!_

_**Before I was sealed for the first time, I used to appear in places by means of fire. Think of that Gaara boy and what he does with his sand, except replace it with fire. **_

_How do I do it?!_

_**Like a simple transportation jutsu, except you add my fire chakra into it. Your body will burst into flame and then disappear. Then, wherever you envision, a flame will appear in that spot and your body will manifest from the growing fire. Or, you can make your body explode into fireballs that can fly around and reattach themselves forming your body. For that you need to separate the fire chakra into five different parts of your body and push while making a hand sign.**_

_What will it look like?! Awesome?!_

_**Think of five large fireballs flying at you. Then they all clump together, and out pops a person!**_

_I'm doing that! I could probably use that in my match with Neji. If I just all of a sudden explode, it would freak people out! _

Naruto smirked in excitement. This was going to be fun!

She walked toward the tunnel leading to the center of the arena, and from her distance, she could see Shikamaru standing in the middle with the other examinees. He was slouching slightly with his hands in his pockets. He looked anything but happy to be where he was.

Doing as Kurama suggested, she made a Ram sign and focused his chakra through her body. She felt her body separate, and then she was off!

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Shikamaru was less than thrilled. He had to wake up early, even though the exam didn't start till one. Promise his mother that he wasn't going to slouch off and give up. He was then forced to participate in a scavenger hunt for his breakfast. His mother mentioned something about getting his brain working and having the proper motivation to do something or other.

Overall, it was the worst morning of his young life. What he had been looking forward to, was now considered the biggest waste of time in his opinion. All he wanted to do was sleep because he didn't get enough the previous night. Especially after talking to the Hokage for two hours.

That was something else. Naruto carried the Kyuubi inside her. She was shunned by the village and treated like dirt. Like she didn't have the right to exist. They hated her to point of burning down her house in hopes to kill her. She pretended to be a boy and an idiot as a way to keep herself safe from others.

All these horrible things, and yet she never complained. He rarely ever saw her with a sad face, because she always worked so hard to keep her pain from everyone. Yet, he had a feeling that the happiest looking person in their village, was actually the most depressed and lonely.

He heaved a deep sigh. So much drama surrounding the life of one girl was a drag.

He had been standing in the middle of the arena for half an hour. He watched as the Suna ninja showed up, walking in like they owned the place. Sakura and Hinata were next, followed by Shino, Neji and Sasuke.

Some Jonin walked up to them and said that the exam was starting in five minutes. Shikamaru sighed in worry. Naruto was nowhere to be seen!

"What is that?" he heard Sakura say.

The Genin all looked up to see fireballs flying their way. The chatter from the spectators quieted as they all watched the flames get closer.

Shikamaru stepped back as the balls landed next to him and swirled, creating a mini tornado. When the flames cleared, there stood Naruto in all of her orange glory.

She was sporting a long orange trenchcoat, that was trimmed in black and outlined her feminine form very well. She looked smug and proud of herself.

"You were almost late," he told her in a bored voice.

She grinned, "I was standing outside thinking about how to enter, sorry to worry you!"

"Neh! I worried for nothing, what a drag," he yawned.

"It's okay, at least you care," she gave him a bright smile.

Shikamaru blushed and looked away. "Whatever," he mumbled.

Naruto was glad that someone actually showed worry for her. Before she could taunt Shikamaru any more, Hinata was hugging her.

"You wore it! So you're done with pretending?" she asked in excitement.

Naruto snickered, "Yeah. I think I'm strong enough now, and I really wanted to wear it."

"Naruto?!" she looked over at Sakura, who was staring, mouth agape.

"Hi," she said.

"You're a girl?!" the pinkette shouted, pointing a finger at her.

The other examinees were watching as well. Gaara didn't look shocked, because he already knew that she was a girl. Shino looked the same as always, but she knew that he knew, so he probably wasn't all that shocked. The Iwa guy was surprised along with Temari.

Sasuke was staring at her with an odd expression. She didn't like it and decided to focus on her enemy.

Neji was smirking. About what,she had no clue. But if he thought that he was going to win because she was a girl, he was sorely mistaken.

Some guy with a senbon sticking out of his mouth walked over to her, "Are you Naruto Uzumaki?"

She nodded, "Why?"

"You're the last to arrive and the exam will begin now. I'm Shiranui Genma, the proctor for the third exam," he introduced himself.

She backed up a step. "Where is Hayate sensei?" she demanded with a glare.

Genma sighed, "He couldn't be here."

She saw how his eyes drifted to the side quickly before looking down and then back up quickly. Something happened. Unless Hayate was put on a mission, there was no way he would miss out on being a proctor. And missions were halted because of the exams. It was a sort of protection because of all the foreign ninja in the village. Just incase anyone tried anything.

The look on Genma's face told her something bad had happened. He skirted around her question and was avoiding her gaze. He also looked guilty. Either Hayate was injured, or he was dead. If it was an injury, Genma would've said something about getting hurt, which meant that Hayate was killed.

Her expression grew dark, "Who killed him?"

Genma froze. The look on the blondes face was terrifying. How had she been able to pick up the situation like that? She looked ready to kill too.

He sighed, "Anbu found his body a few days ago. We don't know how he died, but we have a suspect. We can't accuse until said suspect makes a wrong move though."

Naruto nodded and looked at the sky, "Thank you for not lying to me."

She then turned to Shikamaru and he frowned, wondering why she was looked sad.

She shook her head, "It's nothing."

Genma then stood in front of the grouped Genin and cleared his throat. "Straighten up, and present yourselves to the spectators!" he ordered.

Everyone did as told, and turned to the stands. A roar of screams and clapping met their ears. Above the regular stands was the kage box and the Hokage stood and gave a speech, asking for everyone to remain in the arena until the very end. He then gave the floor to Genma.

"There is one more thing before we start," Genma muttered pulling a piece of paper from his vest.

He held it out for them all to see, "There's been a bit of a change, so look it over and see who you're fighting."

The original match ups had Sasuke, Sakura and the Iwa guy, Bisuke to fight in one match and Gaara was supposed to fight Dosu. Dosu hadn't shown up, and Naruto had a feeling that it wasn't because he wimped out.

Now, the matchups were:

1. Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga

2. Hinata Hyuga vs. Shino Aburame

3. Sasuke Uchiha vs. Sakura Haruno

4. Shikamaru Nara vs. Sabaku no Temari

5. Sabaku no Gaara vs. Bisuke Hazama

_I hope Sasuke doesn't hurt Sakura too much._

_**You underestimate Pinky. She won't win, true, but I think she'll bring something that we've never seen.**_

_I hope you're right, but I meant, that Sasuke doesn't particularly like her, and I'm hoping that he won't use this as a chance to get back at her for all of her fan girlishness. I don't really know how shallow he can be, so, I'm worried. Especially since he's the revenge type, if all his spouting about avenging his clan is anything to go by._

_**True. Well, we will see.**_

_Yeah. Anyway, I still get to fight Neji, so I'm good._

Genma put the paper away and sighed. "Okay listen up! This is just like the prelims. I will call the match when I see someone can't continue or someone forfeits or the most unlikely, someone dies. Until then, there is nothing you can't use in order to win. There are no rules. That being said, if I have to, I will step in and stop any match if needed, and don't argue with me if I do or you'll be disqualified. Am I understood?" he explained with a raised brow.

Everyone nodded.

"The first match will be between Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. Everyone else will go to the waiting area," Genma told them.

The rest of the Genin walked off and Naruto turned to Neji. He was still smirking and she couldn't wait to beat the shit out of him.

Genma looked from Naruto to Neji and could feel the tension between the two. They would obviously give a good match, that much he could tell. Yet, he couldn't help but feel that the Hyuga was going to lose. The blonde looked dead serious on winning and with the glare she was giving the boy, he was surprised that he didn't catch fire.

"You two ready?" he asked.

They nodded and he sighed, "Then let the first match of the Third Exam commence!"

A roar of approval erupted from the stands. The people were excited.

When the cheers quieted down, Neji gave Naruto a look, "Do you have anything to say before you lose, failure?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, actually. I've heard from Hinata that you're an ass."

A protestant squeak from the waiting area alerted her that Hinata heard. Neji's eyebrow twitched.

"Okay okay. Her exact words were, 'particularly unkind', I just like to call you an ass, because you are one," she shrugged.

"So, along those lines, why do you feel the need to make others feel like shit? What's your beef? You're part of a prestigious clan and you're a prodigy in your own right. You garner respect just because of your name and you have all the makings to be a great ninja. Why are you such an ass to everyone if your life is so good?" she questioned in all seriousness.

Neji glared at her, "You don't know anything! Destiny dictates that those who fail will always fail, and those who succeed will always succeed. You were born a failure and you will never rise to anything!"

She snorted at him, "You obviously didn't listen to Kabuto when he gave a monologue all about my life. But that's okay. Because right here and now, you will fail, all due to your presumptuousness. You didn't answer the question either. Are you scared to admit why you're an ass? I'd like to get this out of the way before we fight."

"I just speak the truth. If the failures can't handle it, that's not my problem. You for one, can't seem to understand that you will never amount to anything. Failing the academy three times. It was sheer luck that you passed this year. You will never become the Hokage," Neji smirked as if he won.

"I failed because I never answered any test questions. My performance was perfect, I just didn't want to answer the questions. Besides, I have a higher IQ than you do, so if anyone is the failure, it's you," she countered with another shrug. "Besides, I think you're trying so hard to turn everything on me, because you have no actual basis for your 'destiny' crap."

Neji growled, "Destiny decides our fate. I am of the Side Branch, and as such, my destiny has already been decided for me. I was born to serve the Main Branch, just as you were born to fail."

"Oh grow up!" she yelled at him causing him to back up in shock. "You aren't the only person to have a Cursed Seal you know! There are other seals out there! Ones that make the Hyuga Main Branch's seal look pathetic! It's not even that bad. Originally, it was intended to seal the Byakugan away, so that when a Hyuga Side Branch member died, enemy shinobi couldn't take their doujutsu. It is also only meant to be activated when a Branch member shows insubordination. If it was used for any other reason, than that's an abuse of power that should be taken to Hiashi," she told him with her arms crossed.

"What would you know? You aren't anyone special, and your destiny is a dark one of failure! Being forced to serve the Main Branch is terrible! My own father died for the sake of the Main Branch. My destiny will end up being the same. You shouldn't talk as if you know what you're talking about!" Neji yelled in outrage.

"You're the one who doesn't know what they're talking about! You know nothing about me, but you forget that my best friend is Hinata. I know everything about you because of her," she smiled.

"Your father, Hizashi, was twin to Hiashi. When the Head Ninja of Kumogakure kidnapped Hinata, as a way to try and get her Byakugan, Hiashi killed him. This made Kumo angry, and they demanded the body of Hiashi as restitution or else Konoha would be at war. Hizashi decided to take his brothers place, much to Hiashi's abhorrent disagreement. He even struck his brother, making sure that he couldn't interfere. I heard that Hizashi decided to choose his own destiny, and died as a way to protect his big brother, keep you safe, and save Konoha from unneeded war. It wasn't for the sake of the Hyuga that he did what he did. If anything, your father chose to die for a noble reason. He made his own decision and chose his own destiny. He loved his brother. Though the Hyuga Affair ended with the death of an admirable man, it showed great love, and that if you try hard enough, you can change your destiny," she frowned.

"Love makes people do strange things. Can you really fault him for wanting to save his brother?" she asked, looking Neji in the eye.

Neji looked confused, "How do you know all of that?"

She shrugged, "Unlike the Uchiha Massacre, that _no one_ ever talks about, the Hyuga Affair is still a quite talked about event. Many Jonin still feel that Kumo was completely in the wrong, and they're correct. I've even heard it from the mouths of those who came up with the idea for Hizashi to take Hiashi's place."

Neji took a deep breath, "How were you able to get such information?"

"I'm a prankster, and as such, I have to have good hiding skills. I can successfully outmaneuver four squads of Anbu, for prolonged periods of time if needed. I also like to spy," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

Neji's eyes widened, "No one can run from the Anbu."

"I can! The only person I ever got caught by, was Iruka sensei, and he's a Chunin. Kind of strange how a Chunin can catch me, but twelve regular Anbu and four captains can't," she hinted.

"Because you let him find you…" Neji trailed off in shock. He shook his head, "_I_ believe that only those of prestigious blood will ever succeed in life. You can't go anywhere if you aren't born for it. Destiny works in it's own way."

Naruto sighed, "You can choose your own destiny Neji. The Yondaime wasn't from a prestigious clan. Everyone in his year thought that he had a ridiculous dream of becoming Hokage. Yet, he graduated at the age of ten, ahead of them. He eventually became Hokage and saved the village. He did all of that even though he wasn't from a famous clan."

Neji pursed his lips and Naruto smirked. He knew she had him and he couldn't say anything.

"If everything you say is true, why haven't I been told? Can you answer that?" the Hyuga asked in doubt.

"I wouldn't know that reason. But now that you are doubting everything you've ever known, you can ask and verify it all yourself. Besides, the fact that a mere Genin who isn't even part if the Hyuga clan, knows so much about said clan, raises question. Maybe you should ask Hiashi when I defeat you?" she suggested.

Neji stared at her, "I don't want to believe you."

She snorted, "Well duh! You want to hold on to your anger, and that's understandable. But do you some day, want to find out that maybe your whole view is wrong? If that happens, do you want to fill the rest of your days with 'what ifs'? Regretting how you treated everyone?"

She could tell that she had seriously shaken the boy. He looked uncertain and slightly hurt. "When it comes to fate, we all have one thing in common. Death. What happens before we get there is up to us. Like, if Hiashi gave you an order, you **can** choose to disobey him you know."

He gave a long sigh, "I'll talk to my uncle, _if_ you defeat me. If you fail, I will ignore everything you said, and go on as normal."

She nodded in acceptance, "That's fine." She flashed him a smile, "I hope you know what you're going to ask him."

"So sure that you'll win?" he asked getting into his Juken stance and activating his Byakugan.

She nodded. "Now," she cleared her throat. "I have just learned that one of my sensei's was killed. In honor of him, I will only fight this battle using Kenjutsu," she told him.

Neji's brow quirked, "You have no weapon for such a battle."

She held up her left palm and showed him the seal, "Yes I do."

She focused on the seal, watching it glow white. The hilt appeared and she grasped it, pulling the sword from its hiding place.

Neji watched with wide eyes as a sword came from Naruto's hand. That wasn't normal he was sure. He'd never heard of a seal that allowed something like that.

"Neji Hyuga, meet Kamikaze," she said, running a finger over the blade. "He is a chakra blade, specifically meant for wind chakra users," she smiled.

She slid her left foot back slightly raising her heel a bit, making sure to keep her feet parallel. With her sword held properly, she assumed the Chudan no Kamae position and waited for Neji to attack.

"You're really only going to use that?" he asked a bit hesitant.

She nodded, "In honor of Hayate sensei, I shall perform Kenjutsu and use his favorite technique as well."

Genma was shocked. So the girl was close enough to Hayate to have been taught Kenjutsu by him, and even knew _that_ technique!

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Up in the stands, the rest of the Rookie Nine and Gai's team were convened in the same area. Lee and Gai having been able to make it before anything started.

Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai and Gai were all impressed with how much Naruto was aware of. Gai was secretly hoping that Neji would lose and would take Naruto's words to heart, though outwardly, he rooted for his pupil.

Another shocker for the sensei was when Naruto appeared in such a fiery way and was revealed to be a girl! Kakashi was particularly saddened because he was her sensei and she didn't trust him enough to tell him anything about herself.

From the Kenjutsu, to Fuuinjutsu. Then her IQ, which he found out from the Hokage, was now on par with Shikamaru's. And finally her gender. All those things she never told her team about, because she didn't trust them.

Yesterday, while he was mourning the death of his sensei, he was found by Master Jiraiya. The Sannin told him some things about Naruto that he never knew. Like how she avoided the village on that particular day because of what they would try and do to her and the fact that it was her birthday. Finally, he found out that Master Jiraiya was her Godfather.

All of these things he never knew. And he felt guilty for paying more attention to Sakura and Sasuke. He knew almost everything about them, from birthday's to favorite colors and even their little characteristics that defined who they were.

Yet for Naruto, he knew next to nothing. Disgraceful.

"Naruto has really impressed me," a Chunin sitting next to Kiba stated.

"Yeah. I was under the impression that _she_ was a _he_ and was stupid," his companion added.

"Me too! Izumo, did you notice that she didn't cheat on the written exam?" the first Chunin asked.

"Yes Kotetsu I did. I believe she earned a perfect score too," Izumo said to his friend.

Lee couldn't hold it in, "Naruto is full of youth! So much, that I wish to be more like her one day!"

That sent Gai off on a _youthful_ spiel about never giving up.

Izumo and Kotetsu looked at Kakashi and Kotetsu asked, "Are you proud that all of your students made it to the Third Exam?"

Kakashi waited to answer, then turned to them and said, "Did you say something?"

They frowned and answered in unison, "We aren't Gai."

With a laugh, Kakashi said, "I am very proud of them all."

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Down in the arena, Naruto was ready to win.

"Whenever you're ready," Neji told her.

She nodded and moved one hand from her sword, making a hand sign, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

At that moment, seven other Naruto's poofed into existence. They all ran and surrounded Neji in a circle formation.

"I modified this to my advantage," she told him with a big smile.

The clones all got into their stances, Naruto along with them. "Go!" she shouted.

The clones sprinted forward, two more clones coming from each as the left and right ones crisscrossed and the main ones jumped high.

Neji seeing them in all directions quickly used his Rotation to remove the onslaught.

Naruto waited a couple of seconds before charging. She created two Shadow Clones without hand signs, just like her other clones did. They split off while she jumped in the air. Neji's Rotation ended and he leaned backwards to dodge the simultaneous attack from Naruto's clones. This gave the real Naruto her chance as she twisted her blade quickly before swinging it forward, creating a black arc that left a crescent shaped afterimage in it's wake.

Her clones where on Neji again with unmatched speed, both swinging their turned swords as well.

"Leaf Style: Crescent Moon Dance!" the three chorused.

Naruto brought the mune of her blade down on Neji's head, as her clones hit him in the chest.

Neji hit the ground hard, creating a large crater. He moaned in pain, and when he tried to move, he got dizzy.

Naruto's clones poofed and she put Kamikaze back in the Containment Seal. "If I had performed that technique the original way, you would have been rendered into pieces right now," she told him.

Neji's face contorted. He looked pained, confused and relieved all at once.

"I hope you have a good talk with Hiashi," she told him and walked over to Genma. "I won right? Because I think he's going to have a really bad concussion," she said.

He gave her a small smile, "You really honored Hayate kid. Good job." Then in a louder voice, "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto wasn't expecting applause at all. But when she heard the mad clapping, she blushed.

_I guess I gave a good show._

_**Of course you did.**_

Naruto bowed to Genma and turned, walking off toward the waiting area.

When she reached the wall, she jumped up, and flipped over the railing.

Hinata was the first to congratulate her. "You did great!" the Hyuga cheered. "I hope Neji listened," she murmured.

"Me too!" Naruto nodded. She then turned her friend toward the stadium, "It's your turn. Do your best."

"Okay."

"Shino, you do your best too!" she called to the bug lover.

He nodded in acceptance and followed his teammate down the stairs to the arena.

Naruto then walked over to Shikamaru and sighed, "Hinata will win because Shino will either forfeit or be unconscious."

The boy nodded, "If Hinata pulls out that thing that she used against the puppet guy, then Shino _will_ forfeit. Unfortunately, that seems to use a lot of chakra and Hinata might give up as well just from chakra exhaustion. I hope I'm wrong though."

Naruto nodded, ignoring Sasuke and Sakura's questioning looks. They may have been her teammates, but that didn't they got to know all about her business. So, she and Sakura have a better understanding now. Sure that would help their teamwork later on, but she wasn't close enough to the girl to tell her everything. Sasuke was pretty much the same, just that they didn't seem to argue as much.

Down in the arena, Hinata and Shino faced each other. Hinata slid into her Juken stance and Shino removed his hands from his pockets.

Genma looked at them and raised a hand, "Ready…...Begin!"

Shino's bugs were released and they flew at Hinata. The Hyuga heiress breathed deeply and used her Rotation to blow them away.

Cutting off the spinning she charged forward, palms raised. Shino moved back and away from her, dodging the attacks with relative ease.

Hinata's Byakugan picked up the attack of the insects and once more used her Rotation, knocking Shino away with his bugs.

She ran after him. He stood unsteadily and she slid into position, "You're in range!"

She proceeded to use the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-eight Palms on him. Shino's body collapsed.

Once more, she had to use her Rotation to keep the bugs away from her body.

Shino was up again and she frowned. "You used your beetles to block your chakra from my attacks," she sighed.

Shino nodded and waved his hands. His beetles surrounded her, and she decided that it was time to use her newly refined technique.

Her hands moved quickly, flowing around he form as the blue arcs of chakra appeared. They connected, creating a blue netting.

Naruto was impressed. Hinata had finally perfected it! However, the shock didn't stop as Hinata's arms began to move faster. Then, she crouched and jumped high in the air, her body began to spin and the netting followed suit, creating a whirlpool of blue chakra.

The bugs were sliced into bits. Shino wasn't fast enough to dodge and was caught in the blast as the whirlpool widened.

Then, Hinata stopped spinning and the whirlpool disappeared as she landed on the balls of her feet, Juken stance at the ready.

Genma moved to check on Shino only to find the boy unconscious.

"What was that technique called?" he turned to the Hyuga.

Hinata cleared her throat and said in a clear voice, "Protection of the Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight Palms Vortex. Protection of the Eight Trigrams was my own jutsu and I just added Rotation to it."

Genam nodded in amazement, "The winner is Hinata Hyuga!"

The screams and applause from the crowd made the girl blush. She gave a polite bow to the spectators and to Genma before returning to Naruto's side.

The blonde caught her in a hug, "You went above and beyond perfecting it! You leveled the whole damn thing up! That was so awesome!"

"I got the idea one day. To be honest, that was the first time I used that and landed perfectly. I didn't get dizzy or fall over this time!" Hinata smiled happily.

"Good for you! I hope the Hyuga elders regret how they treated you now," Naruto sighed folding her arms.

Hinata nodded and smiled, thankful to have a friend who cared. "I hope that Shino will be okay," she mumbled in worry.

"He'll be fine. Now look alive, because Sasuke and Sakura are next and I need to you to keep me level headed," she told her friend.

Sasuke and Sakura had already made it to the center of the arena. Hinata was patting Naruto's back and Shikamaru sighed in annoyance.

"Why are you so worried about this?" the lazy boy asked.

"What if Sasuke tries to get revenge for all those years? He has a reason to hurt her, and he can't get in trouble for it," she told the Nara.

"Well, in a way she would deserve it. But I don't think Sasuke would stoop that low," he countered with a shrug.

Down in the arena, Sakura was watching Sasuke's every move. Genma began the match and she moved back.

"You should give up now Sakura. I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl and my teammate," Sasuke smirked.

Sakura flinched as his Sharingan activated.

"Sasuke, stop being an ass to Sakura! Sakura, show him that you can fight!" Naruto's voice rang through the stadium.

"I thought you were worried about them!" Shikamaru's voice echoed out.

"And now I'm not! Kick teme's ass!" Naruto countered, shouting at the top of her lungs.

Sakura straightened and breathed in deeply. Naruto seemed to inspire her to do her best. She had done so in the Forest of Death, the preliminaries and she was doing so again.

Sakura knew that she wasn't going to win, but she wanted to give Sasuke a run for his money at least.

Sasuke ran at her with a speed she didn't remember him having. She barely dodged it his kick.

He spun around and attacked again. She pumped some chakra into her fist, and slammed it into the ground creating a ten foot long and three foot deep crater.

Sasuke had to distance himself quickly. His eyes were a little wider than usual. Obviously he hadn't been expecting that from her.

She then engaged him. Her fists were full of chakra and all she needed was one hit.

Sasuke dodged everyone of her punches. When his back hit the wall of the arena, he used more speed to jump away. Sakura's fist hit the wall causing it to rumble. Then it crumpled around her.

She jumped back and turned to Sasuke who looked grateful that he had dodged that attack. Sasuke made some hand signs and Sakura punched the ground just as the large fireball came flying at her. The rocks blocked her from the fire and she sighed in relief.

_I have to do some damage before I run out of chakra!_

She reached into her pouch and grabbed her largest paper bomb. One that would explode when it hit something. She wrapped it around a kunai before putting the handle between her teeth. She then pulled out all of her prepared kunai that had little bags tied to the ends and waited.

When the fire subsided she focused her chakra and ran out from behind her hiding place. With deadly accuracy she threw all but one kunai at Sasuke, who used his own kunai to block them, causing them to fly off in different directions. She threw the last one at his face and he blocked it as well, hitting it upward. She smirked and threw the kunai that was in her mouth at the bag tied to that kunai.

Sasuke looked up to the kunai falling all around him. He noticed the bags and wondered what they were for. Then, he saw Sakura aim another kunai, one that had a paper bomb wrapped around it, at the kunai he had just blocked and knew what she was doing.

He couldn't move fast enough because he was surrounded by dozens of those little bags. So, he ran through the hand signs for his Fireball Jutsu and prayed that it wouldn't hurt too much.

The kunai hit the bag and the explosion set off all of the other bags. Cherry blossom petals were everywhere. "Sakura Blizzard," Sakura's voice called out.

A large ball of fire appeared, burning the petals.

When the smoke from both attacks died down, Sasuke and Sakura stood facing each other.

"Pretty good plan. If I didn't act, I would've either died or gotten seriously injured," Sasuke complimented.

Sakura flushed, "I know."

She sighed, wondering what to do. Her chakra was pretty low. In fact, she had enough to fill one more punch. With that in mind, she charged the Uchiha.

Sasuke threw all caution to the wind and charged her as well. She was moving slower and he knew that he could take her out in one blow.

Sakura noticed how slow his movements were and inwardly smirked. He was underestimating her. She was a foot away from him, when she added the last bit of her chakra into her legs, pushing her forward at a speed his Sharingan couldn't follow.

His fist slammed into her face, as her own fist rammed into his stomach.

Sasuke and Sakura were both sent flying, Sasuke much farther than Sakura.

The pinkette landed on the ground holding her cheek. Even though he didn't use all of his strength in that punch, it still hurt like hell.

Sasuke wasn't any better. His body had impacted the ground, making a Sasuke shaped hole that was relatively seven feet deep. He groaned as he sat up, clutching his abdomen. "Nng," he moaned. He was finally able to crawl out of the hole when the pain lessened a bit.

Sakura grinned as she watched him stumble. She was done. She could barely move. But, at least she was able to prove that she wasn't some weak little girl. Maybe then, Sasuke would respect her.

She looked over to the proctor, "I have no more chakra left. I forfeit."

Genma nodded, still shocked from the fight the little cherry blossom had put up. "The winner is...Sasuke Uchiha," he announced.

The arena was quiet. No one cheered for the last Uchiha.

Naruto looked around the stadium and sighed. She might as well say something.

Taking a deep breath she yelled, "Good job Sakura!"

That spurred the spectators on as they began to cheer for the pinkette.

"Way to go Pinky!"

"The cherry blossom can fight!"

"Will you please be my girlfriend?!"

The last noticeable cheer was made by Rock Lee and Naruto laughed. He was still head over heels for the girl. It was cute!

Sakura was carted off by medical ninja's. Sasuke watched her go with a new look on his face. He was smiling. A genuine smile that seemed to light up his dark eyes.

_I guess you aren't useless after all._

When Sasuke returned to the waiting area, Shikamaru and Temari took their places.

The arena was destroyed from Sakura's attacks, and Shikamaru was trying to think of a strategy. He and Temari seemed to prefer long distance fighting. They weren't the kind to get up close and personal.

This posed a problem. How could he reach her when she was so far away, and she had that fan? The fan, seemed to be the thing she relied on. Her Wind Scythe Jutsu utilized the fan to create massive tornadoes. Naruto had mentioned that the girl had perfect control over her wind chakra, and could shift Tenten's weapons without moving a muscle.

He sighed in annoyance. Why did he have to fight such a difficult opponent? And why did it have to be a girl again?

He looked at all of the holes that Sakura had created. Some were small, and others were large. The last one she made was the one where she put Sasuke about six feet under. Literally.

The rocks that littered the ground were a nuisance. Though, the large ones created large shadows that he could use as a way to extend his range. He glanced up at the sky, gauging the time. It had to have been an hour and it was cloudy, which helped play to his strengths.

He thought about the Sasuke hole. It was deep enough to hide in, which meant he could use it to get away from her jutsu.

Genma glanced at them both. before raising his hand and saying, "Begin!"

Shikamaru stood there, waiting for Temari to make her move.

She whipped out her fan and swung it at him. He moved quickly, running behind a large rock, and then to a rock further behind that one.

Temari waited for the winds to slow before she aimed another attack at the boulder he had run behind. Everything in that direction was blown off the ground and into the wall. But the lazy ninja was nowhere in sight.

She spun around and waved her fan again, causing the debris to fly. Still, she couldn't find him.

Shikamaru had made it to the hole. While she was swinging that fan of hers around, he had made a clone and sent it over to what remained of the forest like part of the arena.

Temari saw the clone trying to hide and began swinging her fan like crazy. "You can't hide for ever!" she screamed.

The clone used the Shadow Possession Jutsu, and nearly caught the kunoichi, but she was quick, and jumped away. The shadow retreated, before moving once again along the shadows of the rocks that were still on the ground.

Temari moved back even more.

The real Shikamaru sighed. He had given that clone most of his chakra. Though it was following the plan perfectly by herding the girl into his trap, it was also draining his chakra. He knew what was going to happen, and also knew that he would get nowhere without his chakra.

He sighed once more in frustration. All that planning and it got him nowhere! _What a drag._

Temari stopped when the clones shadow stopped. It couldn't move any further because there was nothing around. Temari smirked and slammed her fan into the ground.

Shikamaru used his jutsu and let it slowly crawl forward. He moved along with it, slowly climbing out of the hole. Temari's back was to him as she ran through some hand signs. He smirked and let his shadow catch her.

Temari couldn't move. She looked over at Shikamaru and noticed how his shadow was still in the same place as before. How had he caught her if his shadow was stuck?

The Shikamaru she was looking at poofed and her mouth dropped. It was a clone the whole time!

"I got you," the real Shikamaru's voice sounded out from behind her. Her body moved on its own and she was forced to face him. "How did you?" she asked.

"I was analyzing everything before we even started," he answered.

An idea came to mind and he knew he only had about thirty second before his jutsu was done. He moved his arm behind him causing her to mimic the movement.

She was confused, when she had her closed fan in her hands. What was he going to do?

Shikamaru sighed and made some motions as if he was hitting his head off a wall. This caused Temari to repeatedly bash her head against the metal part of her fan. His jutsu released in time for her to collapse, completely unconscious.

Genma looked at the kunoichi, then to Shikamaru and grinned, "What an unorthodox way to win. Winner, Shikamaru Nara!"

Shikamaru sighed in relief. He then walked over to the wall by the waiting area and had to give himself a pep talk just to jump up.

Naruto was giving him a bright smile. "You didn't give up!" she squealed, hugging him.

Shikamaru blushed. He smiled a little when she pulled away, and noticed how Sasuke wasn't smiling. In fact, the Uchiha was glaring at him.

Smirking slightly, Shikamaru wrapped an arm around Naruto's shoulders. "Well, I had to promise my mother that I wouldn't quit. I have moments where I'm not lazy you know," he said.

Naruto snorted, "Sure, but only when it's to save your own skin."

Shikamaru shrugged his other shoulder, making sure to keep Naruto close with his other arm.

Naruto didn't notice what was going on between the Uchiha and the Nara. She was busy watching the arena as Gaara transported himself with his sand and the Bisuke guy jumped the railing. "He's dead," she mumbled.

Shikamaru looked at he opponents and nodded, "Yeah. Poor guy."

When the match started, Bisuke had whipped all of his shuriken at Gaara. The sand just protected him. Before Bisuke could move, his body was covered in sand and Gaara was smirking. He held his hand out, and made a fist. The sand tightened and blood exploded from it, covering the ground in reddish black blood.

Everyone was quiet and Gaara transported himself back to the waiting area. The Konoha Genin backed up from him a bit. He had just killed someone without batting an eyelash, and was smirking over it.

Genma was staring at the blood in disgust and slight fear. A Genin had just killed someone without any problem and looked happy to do so. He cleared his throat, "The second part of the Third Exam will commence after a fifteen minute intermission. Then, all five remaining fighters will face off in the ultimate Battle Royal. The last one standing in the end, wins!"

Hinata and Shikamaru looked at each other. Naruto noticed their worried looks and asked, "You guys want to give up, don't you?'

They both nodded and she sighed. Grabbing Sasuke's hand, she said, "Follow me."

When they were a good distance from Gaara she stopped and turned to her comrades. "I want to fight Sasuke, "she said looking at the Uchiha. "And he wants to fight me. I take it, you two don't want to face either of us, or Gaara correct?"

Both Shikamaru and Hinata nodded. Sasuke wanted to know where Naruto was going.

"Okay. You may not know this, but even if you win the Chunin Exams, you might not actually become a Chunin," she told them.

Their jaws dropped, "What?!"

"Okay, here is an example of what they are looking for. In the first exam, we took a written test, that didn't help us in that exam. But, they are still used. The tests of those who make it to the Third Exam are brought out. They take into account how you gathered your information, seeing if you are good at reconnaissance. Here's the interesting thing though. Shikamaru, Sakura and I, all passed our tests perfectly, but we didn't cheat," she explained.

Hinata and Sasuke gaped. They hadn't cheated?

"They know that we didn't cheat, which shows that we have the intelligence needed to become Chunin. The three of us, made it to the tower in a day. We all won our preliminary fights. Me, by brute strength, Shika, by strategy, and Sakura through perseverance," she explained.

With a sigh, she continued, "I displayed use of Fuuinjutsu and Kenjutsu in my first battle, and won. Shikamaru used strategy again and came out on top. Sakura didn't win, but she showed that she was prepared for anything with those explosives. She also proved that she has amazing chakra control."

"How did she show chakra control?' Sasuke asked in confusion.

"To infuse your chakra into your fist, you have to know your chakra very well, and have the proper control needed to get the desired results. Kakashi sensei has remarked that Sakura has amazing chakra control many times and today she proved it. The only other person able to do such a thing is Tsunade, the Slug Sannin and world renowned medical ninja. She is the one who developed the technique of adding chakra into her Taijutsu. Sakura showed that she has that talent and finally, she pulled back when she knew she couldn't win. That shows that she isn't one to jump in without thinking. Something like that can save a squads life. Sakura might just come out of this as a Chunin," she told them.

They three other Genin were looking at her in awe. "What does that have to do with us?" Hinata asked.

Naruto smirked and leaned in, causing them to mimic her, "You two want to give up cause you don't want to fight us. Sasuke and I want to fight each other. The only thing in the way of that, is Gaara. I propose that you two stay for the battle. Then, we all join together and take Gaara out. With four on one, the chances are higher. When he's out, you two can forfeit. In the end, it'll be Sasuke and I who finally get to fight. This will show that even though we're all enemies, we can put aside our differences in order to take out a common enemy. This could help you guys, so I think you should stay."

The two looked at each other and nodded. "Okay!" they chorused.

Naruto smiled, "Okay then. Now, where is your chakra at?"

"I'm mostly full," Sasuke said.

"I'm at half," Hinata smiled.

"I'm almost out," Shikamaru groaned.

Naruto smirked and pulled something out of her pouch. "Do either of you want one?" she asked Hinata and Shikamaru, showing what she was holding.

They both gasped, "Those ones are really hard to come across. I'm fine." Hinata shook her head, "Keep them for something really important."

Shikamaru reached out and grabbed one, "I'll use it."

Sasuke was staring at her. "Where did you learn all of this?" he asked.

She snickered, "I was spying."

Shikamaru was thinking of how they could incapacitate Gaara quickly, before he could kill them. He swallowed the Extreme Soldier Pill and sighed, "I think we need to get Hinata close enough so she can block his chakra points. If that happens, he won't be able to use the sand in _any_ way."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Sasuke and Naruto should use their Ninjutsu against him. I can try to get him with my Shadow Possession again. We should each take a side, so that he'll have to worry about every direction. Sasuke and Naruto should be across from each other so they can attack him properly. Hinata and I will face each other as well and wait for good times to strike," Shikamaru said, looking over at Gaara. "Hinata, when you see the opening, take it," he ordered.

She nodded and they all straightened.

Genma cleared his throat, "The second and final part of the Third Exam will begin soon! Participants front and center!"

"We'll take our places the way he wants, then converge around Naruto when he starts the match," Shikamaru whispered to them. They all agreed and followed Gaara down to the arena.

Ganma had them all stand in a wide circle. "You will all fight each other. There are no rules. I will step in if I have to though," he told them.

They remained quiet.

"The final part of the Third Exam begins…...NOW!" he jumped away.

Shikamaru, Sasuke and Hinata all jumped toward Naruto and faced Gaara.

"We need to surround him," Shikamaru whispered quickly. "Naruto, create some Shadow Clones that can get us some time."

She nodded and created twenty, having them charge Gaara. His sand moved, encasing him in a sphere.

"Now!"

They all jumped to separate places, Sasuke and Naruto facing each other as Shikamaru and Hinata assumed their position across from one another.

The clones poofed and the sand dropped. Gaara looked around, noticing that he was surrounded. He seemed confused.

Naruto looked at Shikamaru and then to Sasuke. They all grinned and Shikamaru used his family jutsu to catch Gaara. The Sand couldn't stop him as the shadow it was creating got caught by him. Gaara began to try and move, but found that he couldn't.

Sasuke back flipped up the arena wall and made some hand signs, he then focused his chakra.

Naruto smirked when she saw the lightning jutsu. Kakashi had taught him well. She bit her finger and smeared the blood on her palm. "Summoning Jutsu!" she said slamming her hand to the ground.

A five tailed fox named Ho appeared. He was a little taller than Naruto with black and orange fur. She was glad that she knew him and that he wasn't a hard person to work with. "Ho, I need you to use the Dragon Fire Jutsu on him. I'll add my Pressure Damage when you build up enough power," she said, petting his back.

Gaara's eyes widened and he moved his arms, causing the sand to create a dome around him.

Looking at Ho ,Naruto nodded and they both released their attacks. The large Fire Dragon met with the tornado and they fused together creating Red Dragons Flaming Breath. The beast roared as it hit Gaara's sand dome.

When the air cleared, a shiny glass ball stood in the middle of the stadium. Sasuke taking that as his cue, ran down the wall, his new jutsu crackling madly like the chirping of a thousand birds.

He sped toward the dome and thrust his arm out, breaking the glass. He felt his hand hit something warm. The glass fell away to reveal Gaara standing there in shock, his hands in front of his face. Blood was running down his chest where Sasuke's hand was resting, just above his heart.

He looked down and screamed, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! IT'S BLOOD! IT"S MY BLOOOOOD!"

Hinata took this as her cue and ran forward, "Eight Trigrams One Hundred Twenty-Eight palms!"

She hit every one of his points and knocked him to the ground as Shikamaru released his jutsu.

The arena was silent as they waited.

The four Genin came together and watched as Gaara's body began to shake.

The air shifted and grew colder. Naruto gasped. _Is he doing what I think he's doing?!_

_**Yes! This has just gotten very dangerous!**_

"Shikamaru, Hinata. Remember what we talked to the Old Man about yesterday?" she asked them in an urgent tone.

They nodded with confused looks.

She gave them a worried look, "Gaara's the same. Problem is, he has no control."

Both stepped back in fear. Shikamaru was the first to speak, "He can really kill us then!"

She nodded, watching as Gaara's body rose slightly. The sand was covering his right arm and his heavy breathing was guttural and deep.

He turned to them and they all gasped. His eyes were no longer green, but gold with black sclera. He was smirking at them.

All of a sudden, they all felt something strange. Looking around they saw the spectators fall asleep as feathers rained down from nowhere.

Sasuke was the first to understand what it was, "Genjutsu!"

Everything changed. The Anbu who were present began attacking the Konoha shinobi who were still awake. The Jonin were fighting with strange ninja. Naruto looked up to the kage box and saw that the Kazekage had a kunai pressed to the Old Man's throat.

Genam was standing in front of them. "Suna and Oto are attacking!" he called over his shoulder.

Gaara was still grinning. Kankuro appeared out of thin air next to his brother. "Gaara, you can't do that here. We need a better place!" the boy panicked.

Suddenly, their sensei was next to them as well, "Gaara, go!"

The two boys nodded and Kankuro followed his brother.

He then turned to Genma and laughed, "I hope you prove to be a better challenge than the coughing idiot!"

Naruto's blood froze. _What did he just say?!_

_**Don't lose your composure Kit!**_

Genam frowned and cleared his throat, "Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke Uchiha, Shikamaru Nara and Hinata Hyuga! You will go and pursue Sabaku no Gaara and Sabaku no Kankuro. Whatever they have planned, you have to stop it at all costs. This is an A rank mission that I am assigning to you as of right now. GO!"

The four Genin nodded. Naruto paused before leaving, "Hit that prick hard. For Hayate sensei _and_ me."

She then ran after her team, ready to subdue the Shukaku.

_This is such a pain!_

_**Just make sure you keep a clear head Kit!**_

**A/N: Another chapter down!**

**Tell me what you think in your reviews!**

**Please review!**

**Ja ne!**


	8. Ch 6 Third Exam(Gaara)

**A/N: Hello people! This is the next chapter.**

**!*THIS IS 'CHAPTER 6 GAARA'. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR 'CHAPTER 6 SHIKAMARU', PRESS THE 'PREV' BUTTON*!**

**This chapter is dedicated to Kunoichi of the Moonlit Night(575****th**** reviewer) and Wannabe(600****th**** reviewer), you guys rock!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**I have no beta for this story, all mistakes are my own.**

***NOTE* Because Naruto is a girl, she is changing the characters. Sasuke is a lot nicer to her. Shikamaru isn't as lazy,(Which by the way, exclamation can be used without someone shouting.) Gaara( for his part) is a lot more playful and touchy. Again, this story is different.**

**Naruto understands where Gaara is coming from. She knows how he feels and what made him the person he is. That is why she doesn't take his threats all too seriously, and tries to be nice to him. **

**Another thing. I used parts from the show in different ways. In the show, Naruto does end up in the hospital and Shikamaru is there when he wakes up. They **_**do**_ **confront Gaara and all that. I used that in the Shikamaru version as a way to better their relationship.**

**In the show, Gaara **_**does**_ **kill Dosu, and he is often seen atop Kikyo Castle. I decided for the Gaara version, to have Naruto in those scenes, because there isn't much interaction between the two in the show, for me to use in the story. **

**Also, there **_**was**_ **a festival during the Chunin exams, but it was one for the actual Exam. I changed it, to be the celebration of the defeat of the Kyuubi in order to give myself more to work with, as the plot line goes on. The funny thing is, that when Naruto went to bed, in the show, the night before the Third Exam, we see his calendar on the wall, and the number eleven is circled for the Third Exam. This gave me the chance to use the tenth as Naruto's birthday, because we didn't see the month shown on the calendar.(His B-day **_**is**_ **October 10th.)**

**Basically, half of each chapter is exactly the same, so that everything moves on smoothly. However, one story has Gaara and Naruto interaction and the other has Shikamaru and Naruto interaction. If you read both, sorry to tell you, but most likely, half of it will be repeated. !**_**Chapter 6 however, has different matchups, therefore, a different outcome!**_***NOTE***

**BTW! Any flames will be thrown back twice as hot. I **_**will**_ **use the Atomic Fireball Jutsu on your ass!**

**Enjoy! :D **

Naruto looked at her reflection. Her new trenchcoat made her look good! For some reason, she felt empowered.

_Is this what that Anko woman feels when she wears her coat?_

Even with the coat on, it was easy to tell that she was a girl. Hinata made sure that it was the right size so that she wasn't dwarfed like she usually was. Her mesh shirt and slim build just adding to the mix, making the whole ensemble awesome!

_Wow! My jacket hid so much! It's weird that no one noticed, but maybe it was just too oversized._

_**You never took that thing off either. And when anyone tried to get you to, you'd chew their heads off.**_

_Well, I really liked that jacket! Besides, I didn't like wrapping my chest, even though I had to, and I had to keep the jacket on at all times!_

_**Excuses excuses. I think you secretly wanted people to find out.**_

Naruto huffed and ignored him.

She opened her closet and got ready to prepare. Normal girls filled their closets with clothes or shoes. Things that made them happy. Naruto however, used her closet for weapons. It was like a wonderland and she had to quell her excitement when she looked at her collection of Fuma Shuriken.

_I should probably take one with me today __**and**_ _some of my __**special **__exploding tags._

She grinned at the thought of using one on Neji. The possibility of little Hyuga pieces littering the arena floor, was appealing.

With such a happy thought in mind, she proceeded to collect some _extra_ _special_ kunai, placing them into the Containment Seal on her hand.

_Should I-, nah!_

_**Keeping the element of surprise on your side Kit?**_

_You know it!_

Once she was all prepared, she headed off for the arena. As she jumped from rooftop to rooftop, she was intrigued by all of the lords and ladies that had come just to watch some kids duke it out. _I don't see what's so cool about kids fighting._

_**Think of it as wrestling, except it's real. And any injuries sustained, are real and leave actual scars. What happens in this exam can impact someone's life. Be it for the better or worse, who can tell? Pair that with the food being sold and they're getting a whole show.**_

_Oh! Wait! So we're just a form of entertainment for a bunch of rich jerks?_

_**Pretty much.**_

She rolled her eyes. People were so annoying.

"Hey boss!"

She stopped and looked around, spotting Konohamaru a few feet away.

His eyes bulged when he saw her, "You're a, a-"

"A girl. Yeah, I've been one for a while. What can I do for you?" she asked.

He was quiet for a couple seconds but shook his head, "I wanted to wish you good luck!"

"Hey, aren't you supposed to be in class?" she gave him a look.

"I snuck away so that I could find you and tell you to win!" the little boy shrugged.

"Okay, thank you. Now go to class, because I know from experience that Iruka sensei will come looking for you," she sighed.

"Sure thing boss lady!" the boy grinned and took off toward the academy.

_Now he's going to tell the other midgets to call me that._

_**At least they look up to you.**_

_True._

The arena was a _very_ large building. She stood outside for a few minutes just staring, wondering how big the inside was. The exam was starting in ten, and she if she should make a grand entrance!

_**The best entrances are always grand! Impractical, but grand!**_

_What should I do?!_

_**Before I was sealed for the first time, I used to appear in places by means of fire. Think of that Gaara boy and what he does with his sand, except replace it with fire. **_

_How do I do it?!_

_**Like a simple transportation jutsu, except you add my fire chakra into it. Your body will burst into flame and then disappear. Then, wherever you envision, a flame will appear in that spot and your body will manifest from the growing fire. Or, you can make your body explode into fireballs that can fly around and reattach themselves forming your body. For that you need to separate the fire chakra into five different parts of your body and push while making a hand sign.**_

_What will it look like?! Awesome?!_

_**Think of five large fireballs flying at you. Then they all clump together, and out pops a person!**_

_I'm doing that! I could probably use that in my match with Neji. If I just all of a sudden explode, it would freak people out! _

Naruto smirked in excitement. This was going to be fun!

She walked toward the tunnel leading to the center of the arena, and from her distance, she could see Shikamaru standing in the middle with the other examinees. He was slouching slightly with his hands in his pockets. He looked anything but happy to be where he was.

Doing as Kurama suggested, she made a Ram sign and focused his chakra through her body. She felt her body separate, and then she was off!

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

_**The vixen isn't here yet!**_

Gaara was slightly agitated. He had spent the whole night watching the moon and thinking about the blonde.

She was powerful, which was something he longed for in his prey. He had wanted to fight her. To feel her blood run down his hands. To kill her and make himself feel alive! He wanted to spill her blood for Shukaku _and_ himself. But now….he was unsure. She held his interest.

Her odd speech and mannerisms made him confused. If she was a Jinchuuriki like him, why was she so happy all of the time? How could she possibly act as if everything in her life was okay, when she knew that the people of her village burned her house down every year in an attempt to kill her?

Who and what did she mean by, "They saved me from myself"? How was she saved from herself? It wasn't like she was out to inflict pain upon her person. What was she saved from and who saved her?

Was it possible, that she had actually found people who didn't care about her being a Jinchuuriki? Did such people really exist?

He shook his head in disbelief. _No such person exists! She is just weak!_

Yet, despite thinking that she was weak for such things, he couldn't rid himself of the weird feelings. Why did he feel this way? What was this strange emotion?

_**That is desire. You want her, even though you don't understand in which way yet.**_

Desire? Desire her for what?

_**Everything that makes her, her!**_

He thought about her smile and her laughter. Such things he usually found annoying and trivial seemed to make him more interested in her. He also liked how intelligent she was, and the power she possessed.

Then he remembered how she smiled at the Nara and felt like killing the boy. He didn't like the idea of her smiling at anyone but him! He wanted her smile all to himself.

He mentally reeled back at the revelation. He was becoming attached to someone that he barely knew! Attachments were for the weak! He couldn't afford to think about anything except killing people and fighting only for himself. He needed to stop these strange feelings before they got him killed.

_**Actually pup, you will have to mate at some point. At that time you will have to trust your mate and protect her. Who knows, maybe your mate will end up being the blond vixen.**_

_**If she proves to be worthy, I will stop demanding the blood of everyone around you, and will leave you in peace. In return, I expect you to initiate courtship immediately and lay claim to the female so that other males, such as the **_**Uchiha**_**, don't touch.**_

Gaara's mouth nearly dropped open in shock. For the first time in his life, Shukaku didn't sound like painful ringing in his ears! He sounded normal. Was getting a mate really that important?

_**Yes! Having a powerful mate will make you even more powerful. When you have pups, she will be strong enough to protect them. She would be loyal to you and you only. You will no longer be alone! The vixen would understand you, because she is also a Jinchuuriki and knows what you have suffered.**_

_**Fighting for yourself is usually the best way to go. But with her as your mate, she will fight with you. She would be faithful. The blonde has all of the makings for a perfect mate, so long as she proves herself. If not, we can still partake in her blood!**_

She would be the only one to ever see him for who he was! She didn't see a monster, even though he told told her he was one. She knew the pain of not being wanted.

He found himself desiring her even more. She would be the only. The one person he would let in. Just her.

_**If you can pull this off, I will calm down, and stop harassing you.**_

_What?!_

_**I will never escape this prison. When you die, I'll die, if I'm not extracted from you. This will be the closest thing I'll possibly ever have, to having a family. If you mess this up boy, I will make the last few years look easy compared to how much you will suffer!**_

Gaara was drawn from his thoughts as the vixen he had be thinking about, appeared in a swirl of flame. She was wearing a long orange trenchcoat that advertised her nice figure very well. Apparently, she was done pretending. Good.

It was also very bad. Now the other males were able to see what was his. He was going to have to lay claim soon, especially with the way the Uchiha was eyeing her.

She spoke briefly with the Nara, before turning and waving to him. He nodded in her direction, but didn't make any attempts to speak to her.

He apparently she wasn't having any of it though. She marched over to nim and smiled. "Hello Gaara," she said, giving him that smile he liked so very much.

"Uzumaki," he answered, with a slight rasp in his tone.

She tilted her head in confusion, "Are you well?"

He nodded slightly, ignoring Temari when she gasped at the blondes audacity. "You were almost late, " he said, giving her a glare.

She shrugged, "I wanted to make a memorable entrance."

He gave a barely detectable sigh and nodded. He had forgot that liked to do flashy things.

"Whatever."

She snorted, "I know you were worried. Thanks."

He gave her a blank look, but didn't argue with her. For somewhere deep down, he knew that she was correct.

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Naruto was glad that someone actually showed worry for her. Before she could taunt Gaara any more, Hinata was hugging her, despite the scary vibes Gaara was giving off.

"You wore it! So you're done with pretending?" she asked in excitement.

Naruto snickered, "Yeah. I think I'm strong enough now, and I really wanted to wear it."

"Naruto?!" she looked over at Sakura, who was staring, mouth agape.

"Hi," she said.

"You're a girl?!" the pinkette shouted, pointing a finger at her.

The other examinees were watching as well. Gaara and Shino weren't really shocked, because they already knew that she was a girl. Shikamaru looked the same as always, but she knew that he was good at hiding his reaction behind a cool expression. The Iwa guy was surprised along with Temari.

Sasuke was staring at her with an odd expression. She didn't like it and decided to focus on her enemy.

Neji was smirking. About what,she had no clue. But if he thought that he was going to win because she was a girl, he was sorely mistaken.

Some guy with a senbon sticking out of his mouth walked over to her, "Are you Naruto Uzumaki?"

She nodded, "Why?"

"You're the last to arrive and the exam will begin now. I'm Shiranui Genma, the proctor for the third exam," he introduced himself.

She backed up a step. "Where is Hayate sensei?" she demanded with a glare.

Genma sighed, "He couldn't be here."

She saw how his eyes drifted to the side quickly before looking down and then back up quickly. Something happened. Unless Hayate was put on a mission, there was no way he would miss out on being a proctor. And missions were halted because of the exams. It was a sort of protection because of all the foreign ninja in the village. Just incase anyone tried anything.

The look on Genma's face told her something bad had happened. He skirted around her question and was avoiding her gaze. He also looked guilty. Either Hayate was injured, or he was dead. If it was an injury, Genma would've said something about getting hurt, which meant that Hayate was killed.

Her expression grew dark, "Who killed him?"

Genma froze. The look on the blondes face was terrifying. How had she been able to pick up the situation like that? She looked ready to kill too.

He sighed, "Anbu found his body a few days ago. We don't know how he died, but we have a suspect. We can't accuse until said suspect makes a wrong move though."

Naruto nodded and looked at the sky, "Thank you for not lying to me."

She then turned to Gaara and he frowned in confusion, wondering why she was looked sad.

She shook her head, "It's nothing."

Genma then stood in front of the grouped Genin and cleared his throat. "Straighten up, and present yourselves to the spectators!" he ordered.

Everyone did as told, and turned to the stands. A roar of screams and clapping met their ears. Above the regular stands was the kage box and the Hokage stood and gave a speech, asking for everyone to remain in the arena until the very end. He then gave the floor to Genma.

"There is one more thing before we start," Genma muttered pulling a piece of paper from his vest.

He held it out for them all to see, "There's been a bit of a change, so look it over and see who you're fighting."

The original match ups had Sasuke, Sakura and the Iwa guy, Bisuke to fight in one match and Gaara was supposed to fight Dosu. Dosu hadn't shown up, and Naruto knew that it wasn't because he wimped out.

Now, the matchups were:

1. Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyuga

2. Shino Aburame vs. Sabaku no Gaara

3. Hinata Hyuga vs. Bisuke Hazama

4. Sasuke Uchiha vs. Shikamaru Nara

5. Sakura Haruno vs. Sabaku no Temari

_I hope Sakura doesn't get hurt._

_**I think she can handle the wind mistress Kit.**_

Naruto sighed, _I sure hope so._

Genma put the paper away and sighed. "Okay listen up! This is just like the prelims. I will call the match when I see someone can't continue or someone forfeits or the most unlikely, someone dies. Until then, there is nothing you can't use in order to win. There are no rules. That being said, if I have to, I **will** step in and stop any match if needed, and don't argue with me if I do or you'll be disqualified. Am I understood?" he explained with a raised brow.

Everyone nodded.

"The first match will be between Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyuga. Everyone else will go to the waiting area," Genma told them.

The rest of the Genin walked off and Naruto turned to Neji. He was still smirking and she couldn't wait to beat the shit out of him.

Genma looked from Naruto to Neji and could feel the tension between the two. They would obviously give a good match, that much he could tell. Yet, he couldn't help but feel that the Hyuga was going to lose. The blonde looked dead serious on winning and with the glare she was giving the boy, he was surprised that he didn't catch fire.

"You two ready?" he asked.

They nodded and he sighed, "Then let the first match of the Third Exam commence!"

A roar of approval erupted from the stands. The people were excited.

When the cheers quieted down, Neji gave Naruto a look, "Do you have anything to say before you lose, failure?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yeah, actually. I've heard from Hinata that you're an ass."

A protestant squeak from the waiting area alerted her that Hinata heard. Neji's eyebrow twitched.

"Okay okay. Her exact words were, 'particularly unkind', I just like to call you an ass," she shrugged.

"So, along those lines, why do you feel the need to make others feel like shit? What's your beef? You're part of a prestigious clan and you're a prodigy in your own right. You garner respect just because of your name and you have all the makings to be a great ninja. Why are you such an ass to everyone if your life is so good?" she questioned in all seriousness.

Neji glared at her, "You don't know anything! Destiny dictates that those who fail will always fail, and those who succeed will always succeed. You were born a failure and you will never rise to anything!"

She snorted at him, "You obviously didn't listen to Kabuto when he gave a monologue all about my life. But that's okay. Because right here and now, you will fail, all due to your presumptuousness. You didn't answer the question either. Are you scared to admit why you're an ass? I'd like to get this out of the way before we fight."

"I just speak the truth. If the failures can't handle it, that's not my problem. You for one, can't seem to understand that you will never amount to anything. Failing the academy three times. It was sheer luck that you passed this year. You will never become the Hokage," Neji smirked as if he won.

"I failed because I never answered any test questions. My performance was perfect, I just didn't want to answer the questions. Anyway, I have a higher IQ than you do, so if anyone is the failure, it's you," she countered with another shrug. "Besides, I think you're trying so hard to turn everything on me, because you have no actual basis for your 'destiny' crap."

Neji growled, "Destiny decides our fate. I am of the Side Branch, and as such, my destiny has already been decided for me. I was born to serve the Main Branch, just as you were born to fail."

"Oh grow up!" she yelled at him causing him to back up in shock. "You aren't the only person to have a Cursed Seal you know! There are other seals out there! Ones that make the Hyuga Main Branch's seal look pathetic! It's not even that bad. Originally, it was intended to seal the Byakugan away, so that when a Hyuga Side Branch member died, enemy shinobi couldn't take their doujutsu. It is also only meant to be activated when a Branch member shows insubordination. If it was used for any other reason, than that's an abuse of power that should be taken to Hiashi," she told him with her arms crossed.

"What would you know? You aren't anyone special, and your destiny is a dark one of failure! Being forced to serve the Main Branch is terrible! My own father died for the sake of the Main Branch. My destiny will end up being the same. You shouldn't talk as if you know what you're talking about!" Neji yelled in outrage.

"You're the one who doesn't know what they're talking about! You know nothing about me, but you forget that my best friend is Hinata. I know everything about you because of her," she smiled.

"Your father, Hizashi, was twin to Hiashi. When the Head Ninja of Kumogakure kidnapped Hinata, as a way to try and get her Byakugan, Hiashi killed him. This made Kumo angry, and they demanded the body of Hiashi as restitution or else Konoha would be at war. Hizashi decided to take his brothers place, much to Hiashi's abhorrent disagreement. He even struck his brother, making sure that he couldn't interfere. I heard that Hizashi decided to choose his own destiny, and died as a way to protect his big brother, keep you safe, and save Konoha from unneeded war. It wasn't for the sake of the Hyuga that he did what he did. If anything, your father chose to die for a noble reason. He made his own decision and chose his own destiny. He loved his brother. Though the Hyuga Affair ended with the death of an admirable man, it showed great love, and that if you try hard enough, you can change your destiny," she frowned.

"Love makes people do strange things. Can you really fault him for wanting to save his brother?" she asked, looking Neji in the eye.

Neji looked confused, "How do you know all of that?"

She shrugged, "Unlike the Uchiha Massacre, that _no one_ ever talks about, the Hyuga Affair is still a quite talked about event. Many Jonin still feel that Kumo was completely in the wrong, and they're correct. I've even heard it from the mouths of those who came up with the idea for Hizashi to take Hiashi's place."

Neji took a deep breath, "How were you able to get such information?"

"I'm a prankster, and as such, I have to have good hiding skills. I can successfully outmaneuver four squads of Anbu, for prolonged periods of time if needed. I also like to spy," she replied with a shrug of her shoulders.

Neji's eyes widened, "No one can run from the Anbu."

"I can! The only person I ever got caught by, was Iruka sensei, and he's a Chunin. Kind of strange how a Chunin can catch me, but twelve regular Anbu and four captains can't," she hinted.

"Because you let him find you…" Neji trailed off in shock. He shook his head, "_I_ believe that only those of prestigious blood will ever succeed in life. You can't go anywhere if you aren't born for it. Destiny works in it's own way."

Naruto sighed, "You can choose your own destiny Neji. The Yondaime wasn't from a prestigious clan. Everyone in his year thought that he had a ridiculous dream of becoming Hokage. Yet, he graduated at the age of ten, ahead of them. He eventually became Hokage and saved the village. He did all of that even though he wasn't from a famous clan. He chose to make something of himself and because of his determination, he succeeded."

Neji pursed his lips and Naruto smirked. He knew she had him and he couldn't say anything.

"If everything you say is true, why haven't I been told? Can you answer that?" the Hyuga asked in doubt.

"I wouldn't know that reason. But now that you are doubting everything you've ever known, you can ask and verify it all yourself. Besides, the fact that a mere Genin who isn't even part if the Hyuga clan, knows so much about said clan, raises question. Maybe you should ask Hiashi when I defeat you?" she suggested.

Neji stared at her, "I don't want to believe you."

She snorted, "Well duh! You want to hold on to your anger, and that's understandable. But do you some day, want to find out that your whole view is wrong? If that happens, do you want to fill the rest of your days with 'what ifs'? Regretting how you treated everyone?"

She could tell that she had seriously shaken the boy. He looked uncertain and slightly hurt. "When it comes to fate, we all have one thing in common. Death. What happens before we get there is up to us. Like, if Hiashi gave you an order, you **can** choose to disobey him you know."

He gave a long sigh, "I'll talk to my uncle, _if_ you defeat me. If you fail, I will ignore everything you said, and go on as normal."

She nodded in acceptance, "That's fine." She flashed him a smile, "I hope you know what you're going to ask him."

"So sure that you'll win?" he asked getting into his Juken stance and activating his Byakugan.

She nodded. "Now," she cleared her throat. "I have just learned that one of my sensei's was killed. In honor of him, I will only fight this battle using Kenjutsu," she told him.

Neji's brow quirked, "You have no weapon for such a battle."

She held up her left palm and showed him the seal, "Yes I do."

She focused on the seal, watching it glow white. The hilt appeared and she grasped it, pulling the sword from its hiding place.

Neji watched with wide eyes as a sword came from Naruto's hand. That wasn't normal he was sure. He'd never heard of a seal that allowed something like that.

"Neji Hyuga, meet Kamikaze," she said, running a finger over the blade. "He is a chakra blade, specifically meant for wind chakra users," she smiled.

She slid her left foot back slightly raising her heel a bit, making sure to keep her feet parallel. With her sword held properly, she assumed the Chudan no Kamae position and waited for Neji to attack.

"You're really only going to use that?" he asked a bit hesitant.

She nodded, "In honor of Hayate sensei, I shall perform Kenjutsu and use his favorite technique as well."

Genma was shocked. So the girl was close enough to Hayate to have been taught Kenjutsu by him, and even knew _that_ technique!

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Up in the stands, the rest of the Rookie Nine and Gai's team were convened in the same area. Lee and Gai having been able to make it before anything started.

Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai and Gai were all impressed with how much Naruto was aware of. Gai was secretly hoping that Neji would lose and would take Naruto's words to heart, though outwardly, he rooted for his pupil.

Another shocker for the sensei was when Naruto appeared in such a fiery way and was revealed to be a girl! Kakashi was particularly saddened because he was her sensei and she didn't trust him enough to tell him anything about herself.

From the Kenjutsu, to Fuuinjutsu. Then her IQ, which he found out from the Hokage, was now on par with Shikamaru's. And finally her gender. All those things she never told her team about, because she didn't trust them.

Yesterday, while he was mourning the death of his sensei, he was found by Master Jiraiya. The Sannin told him some things about Naruto that he never knew. Like how she avoided the village on that particular day because of what they would try and do to her and the fact that it was her birthday. Finally, he found out that Master Jiraiya was her Godfather.

All of these things he never knew. And he felt guilty for paying more attention to Sakura and Sasuke. He knew almost everything about them, from birthday's to favorite colors and even their little characteristics that defined who they were.

Yet for Naruto, he knew next to nothing. Disgraceful.

"Naruto has really impressed me," a Chunin sitting next to Kiba stated.

"Yeah. I was under the impression that _she_ was a _he_ and was stupid," his companion added.

"Me too! Izumo, did you notice that she didn't cheat on the written exam?" the first Chunin asked.

"Yes Kotetsu I did. I believe she earned a perfect score too," Izumo said to his friend.

Lee couldn't hold it in, "Naruto is full of youth! So much, that I wish to be more like her one day!"

That sent Gai off on a _youthful_ spiel about never giving up.

Izumo and Kotetsu looked at Kakashi and Kotetsu asked, "Are you proud that all of your students made it to the Third Exam?"

Kakashi waited to answer, then turned to them and said, "Did you say something?"

They frowned and answered in unison, "We aren't Gai."

With a laugh, Kakashi said, "I am very proud of them all."

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Down in the arena, Naruto was ready to win.

"Whenever you're ready," Neji told her.

She nodded and moved one hand from her sword, making a hand sign, "Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!"

At that moment, seven other Naruto's poofed into existence. They all ran and surrounded Neji in a circle formation.

"I modified this to my advantage," she told him with a big smile.

The clones all got into their stances, Naruto along with them. "Go!" she shouted.

The clones sprinted forward, two more clones coming from each as the left and right ones crisscrossed and the main ones jumped high.

Neji seeing them in all directions quickly used his Rotation to remove the onslaught.

Naruto waited a couple of seconds before charging. She created two Shadow Clones without hand signs, just like her other clones did. They split off while she jumped in the air. Neji's Rotation ended and he leaned backwards to dodge the simultaneous attack from Naruto's clones. This gave the real Naruto her chance as she twisted her blade quickly before swinging it forward, creating a black arc that left a crescent shaped afterimage in it's wake.

Her clones where on Neji again with unmatched speed, both swinging their turned swords as well.

"Leaf Style: Crescent Moon Dance!" the three chorused.

Naruto brought the mune of her blade down on Neji's head, as her clones hit him in the chest.

Neji hit the ground hard, creating a large crater. He moaned in pain, and when he tried to move, he got dizzy.

Naruto's clones poofed and she put Kamikaze back in the Containment Seal. "If I had performed that technique the original way, you would have been rendered into pieces right now," she told him.

Neji's face contorted. He looked pained, confused and relieved all at once.

"I hope you have a good talk with Hiashi," she told him and walked over to Genma. "I won right? Because I think he's going to have a really bad concussion," she said.

He gave her a small smile, "You really honored Hayate kid. Good job." Then in a louder voice, "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto wasn't expecting applause at all. But when she heard the mad clapping, she blushed.

_I guess I gave a good show._

_**Of course you did.**_

Naruto bowed to Genma and turned, walking off toward the waiting area.

When she reached the wall, she jumped up, and flipped over the railing.

Hinata was the first to congratulate her. "You did great!" the Hyuga cheered. "I hope Neji listened," she murmured.

"Me too!" Naruto nodded.

Genma called the participants of the next match down to the arena. Naruto turned to Shino and said, "Good luck."

He nodded in acceptance and moved down the stairs to the arena.

Gaara turned to follow, but paused when Naruto smiled at him, "Good luck to you too."

He just looked at her, so she leaned in a little closer, "Please don't kill him?"

Gaara's face pulled down a bit, but he nodded a little, making her smiled even more.

As Shino and Gaara stood across from one another, Naruto was wondering how the battle would turn out. Both shinobi were long distance fighters. Gaara manipulated his sand with his chakra to make it move for him, just as Shino fed his Kikaichu his chakra, so they would follow his orders.

Genma started the match. After five minutes, Shino let his bugs attack. Gaara's sand blocked them.

Recalling his bugs, Shino turned to the proctor and said, "I forfeit."

There was a scream of protest from the spectators. The whole stadium was in an uproar!

Genma gave him a strange look, "Care to explain why? You didn't do much."

Shino sighed. "We are both long distance fighters. That makes it even harder to win. His sand, naturally defends him, without him doing anything. That is why he didn't move. He also has a second shield of sand that covers his body incase he does get hit. In order for someone to break that defense, they would need the proper speed required to get past the first defense. A speed, that I simply do not possess. Now if Naruto or Sasuke had been selected to fight him, they would've tipped the scales fifty fifty. But for me, he would win one hundred percent," the young Aburame explained.

Genma gave him a surprised look. The kid knew so much about his opponent, and was smart enough not to try something when he knew he had no chance.

"Winner by forfeit, Sabaku no Gaara."

The stadium was silent as Genma announced the next two fighters.

Naruto gave Hinata a thumbs up as she followed the Iwa shinobi down to the arena. Gaara returned and stood at the balcony, ready to watch the next match. Shino had decided to head to where the rest of the Rookie Nine were sitting with their sensei's.

Hinata and Bisuke stared at each other. Genma started the match, but for some reason, they hadn't moved.

The Iwa shinobi began tapping his foot. His bright blonde hair waving in the breeze.

This of course, got a nice reaction from the females in the audience. They began to squeal at how 'gorgeous', he looked. The **real** men, were shaking their heads. What had the shinobi world come to, if kids like _that_ were becoming ninja?

After considering the Hyuga heir for a few more moments, Bisuke struck a pose, his lavender eyes shining, "You, will fall to beauty!"

He was met with dead silence. When he looked at the girls face, he saw that she was looking behind him, toward the rest of the competitors. She wasn't even looking at im! How rude!

"Excuse me! I'm talking here! How can you not acknowledge my beauty?!" he shouted at her.

One second, he was looking at the girl, and the next he was on the ground. He sat up, rubbing his head and wondering what had just happened.

She was standing in the same place she was at the beginning of the match, not giving any indication that she had moved.

He pulled himself to his feet and grunted at the pain in his head. What had she done to him?

Shaking his arms, Bisuke sighed before focusing on the kunoichi once more. "I don't know what you did, but I will defeat you using my family's jutsu!" he made a spectacle of twirling around, madly waving his arms about.

His hands formed the signs necessary before a stood back. Hinata looked around herself, wondering what was supposed to happen. She activated her Byakugan, and noticed that chakra was pouring off the boy in waves. He was seriously leaking so much chakra, she wondered how he didn't suffer from immediate exhaustion.

Bisuke's smile faltered, "Why aren't you fainting?"

Hinata had no idea how to answer. What was supposed to be happening? "Well, what did you do?'

Bisuke huffed, giving her a dirty look. "I performed the Hazama Style: Beauty Shine! Why didn't you faint?!" the boy screamed.

The Hyuga looked all around. At the proctor, the spectators and even to Naruto who was shrugging. Turning her attention back to the boy, Hinata deactivated her Byakugan. "I only saw your chakra fluctuation increase with the amount of chakra you were letting out. Now prepare!" she ordered.

Bisuke didn't have a pray as she appeared right in front of him and delivered an open palm thrust to his stomach. She knew that she had damaged him seriously when his body flew backwards and crashed into the stadium wall.

Genma looked over to the boy and nearly laughed. One hit from a small girl and the pansy was down. "Winner by Technical Knockout, is Hinata Hyuga!"

The men in the stands all cheered the little Hyuga on while the women were pissed at how she could injure such a 'beautiful' face. The two Kage, who had been unimpressed by the boy, gave each other a look that said all that was needed to be said. _He will never be a Chunin._

The screams and applause from the crowd made the girl blush. She gave a polite bow to the spectators and to Genma before returning to Naruto's side.

The blonde caught her in a hug, "That was so awesome! You knocked that wimp out with one hit! What was he doing anyway? I couldn't see his face."

"I have no idea. His chakra was pouring off of him though. I think he was trying to use a Genjutsu on me, because he kept asking why I wasn't fainting," the girl sighed in wonder.

Naruto turned to look at Sasuke, Shikamaru and Gaara, "If you ever turn out like him, I'll shove a rotating kunai up your asses!"

The three boys surprisingly all nodded, looking slightly perturbed.

Genma called Sasuke and Shikamaru down to the arena and Naruto gave them cheers to try their best.

"When you're ready, you may begin!" Genma told them while jumping away.

Shikamaru used his jutsu to get Sasuke to retreat several yards. The Uchiha smirked and activated his Sharingan, making sure to keep a close eye on the Nara.

Shikamaru sighed, wondering what he should do. He moved as quickly as he could to dodge the huge fireball that Sasuke had sent flying toward him.

Sasuke was an Uchiha. He had an arsenal full of fire jutsu, and was pretty good at showing them off. Shikamaru had to find a way to get the boys best strength, to become his greatest downfall.

He ran through the forest area of the arena, moving swiftly. Sasuke aimed the Dragon Flame Jutsu at him and he cursed. Every tree was on fire.

_How can I beat him? His Sharingan can catch the fastest of speeds. He can see through Genjutsu easily without it!_

Shikamaru thought about how Sasuke kept on firing Jutsu after Jutsu at him, not really thinking about what he was doing. If he didn't stop, he'd lose his chakra.

Shikamaru was wishing that he could trap he Uchiha in a minefield and just let him have it. That way, he would know what it felt like to be in such a position. His eyes widened. That was it!

He ducked behind another tree that Sasuke lit in fire and pulled something out of his pocket. Around a year ago, Naruto had given him one of her 'special' exploding tags. He didn't know what made it special, but he was about to find out. She had told him that focusing his chakra into it and then using a releasing method like one would do for Genjutsu, would activate it. For some reason, the Nara never used it, but kept it in his pouch anyway.

He wrapped it around a kunai after applying the needed chakra and grinned. Pulling out every other paper bomb he had, he ran back through the trees, slapping the notes onto the ground at the bases of the trees. The smoke from the multiple fireballs was beginning to rise, hiding him from the Sharingan.

He then hooked some wire onto a kunai and placed it into the ground near the bomb. He turned and followed his bombs back to the first one he made, and plunged the other kunai into the ground, near that one. Returning to the middle, he dug a hole in the ground and buried the rest of his notes there. That would be the place to get Sasuke. Finally, he put the main kunai back into his pouch.

He then waited for the smoke to die down. Sasuke was standing far off, watching the foliage, looking for him. He used his Shadow Possession Jutsu and Sasuke snapped to attention.

The boy jumped away and Shikamaru moved forward. Sasuke continued to dodge backwards and Shikamaru ran after him, splitting his shadow up into parts. When he finally had their positions switched, he moved all of his shadow points on the Uchiha, causing the boy to jump back….into the shade of the still burning trees. Right where Shikamaru wanted him.

Sasuke looked down at the wire he had jumped over and wondered what would've happened if he hadn't noticed it.

Shikamaru saw what he was looking at and laughed, "That doesn't do anything!" he told the boy.

The Nara walked forward and let his shadow connect with the one Sasuke was standing in. The Uchiha froze, unable to move his body. He felt like a fool for not realizing that Shikamaru was backing him up into a trap and had set another one that didn't really do anything, just to get his mind elsewhere. Now he was caught and couldn't go anywhere.

He smirked, trying to play it off as nothing, "So you caught me. Now what?"

The lazy genius also smirked, "Give up." He reached into his pouch, Sasuke mimicking his movement but came up short because his pouch wasn't where Shikamaru's was.

"Tch," the Uchiha frowned. "You can't do anything," he told his opponent.

Shikamaru pulled out his main kunai and aimed. _I have to time this correctly. When I throw this, I have to detach my shadow from his before it reaches my target, or else whatever happens to him, will happen to me! What a drag!_

He threw the kunai and waited until it passed into the shadow of the trees before releasing his jutsu quickly. It receded just in time. Sasuke made to jump, but the kunai that was wrapped in a 'special' paper bomb, hit the small patch of dug up earth that Shikamaru had made.

Sasuke flew through the Fireball Jutsu's signs but just as soon as he started the Jutsu, it happened.

Shikamaru formed a sign and called out, "Release!"

The 'special' bomb ignited and set off all of the other bombs in the area. With the added fire from Sasuke's jutsu, the turnout was immense! Shikamaru watched as weird orange sparks flew from the explosion, creating many figures that resembled Naruto, who were all pointing to the flames and laughing.

Naruto leaned over the railing of the waiting area and laughed loudly, "That's one of my 'special' exploding tags!"

When the smoke from the explosion cleared, everyone could see Sasuke's body lying on the ground. Genma walked over and checked for a pulse. It was there, but the Uchiha was severely injured.

He called for a medical ninja and then returned to the center of the arena, "Winner by Technical Knockout, Shikamaru Nara!"

Everyone was quiet as they took in the news. The last Uchiha had lost. Sasuke Uchiha had lost to someone from the Nara clan?! Sasuke Uchiha lost to Shikamaru Nara! One of the laziest ninja to have ever been born!

The Uchiha lost to a Nara.

The cheers that erupted were deafening.

"The Nara's better than the Uchiha!"

"That's the best the Uchiha got?!"

"Shit! That kid is god!"

Shikamaru just looked at he cheering people with a blank expression. Of course he was elated over having defeated the Rookie of the Year, and one of the Uchiha, but the loud noise he got from doing so, was annoying. All of it was such a big drag.

Yet, he was proud that he was able to use the Uchiha's greatest strength and Jutsu against him. True, he may have had more skill, but Shikamaru had the sharper mind for battle.

He turned and marched of the stairs to the waiting area.

"You beat teme!" Naruto smiled.

He smirked a little and nodded, "Well, if he didn't try to show off so much and actually out some thinking in there, he probably would've beaten me."

Naruto shrugged, but nodded. If the teme wasn't showing off, he probably would've won.

Sakura and Temari were the last to fight.

The battle began with Temari swinging her fan and letting loose a mini tornado.

Sakura backflipped and hid in the hole that Hinata had created when she made Bisuke become friends with the ground.

"Are you gonna hide in there forever?!" Temari called out when the pinkette didn't come out.

She looked around and jerked when something touched her leg. She looked down to see a hand sticking out of the ground.

"Earth Style Headhunter Jutsu!" a voice called out.

She was dragged underground as Sakura appeared above her. "I got that from my sensei when he pulled Sasuke under. I checked it out and was glad for how simple it was," she smiled.

Temari struggled to move but couldn't. Stopping, she focused her chakra to gather in the rock that bound her and let it loose.

Sakura dodged back from the explosion and growled in annoyance. What would it take to get the girl down?

Temari backflipped and picked her fan up from where she dropped it. "Nice try, but not good enough! Wind Scythe Jutsu!"

Sakura dodged and ducked into the same hole she hid in before. From there she had used the Headhunter Jutsu and created a tunnel. It was perfect for her to use when she needed to get to the other side of the arena without any damage.

She had to play her cards right though. If she used this as an escape attempt every time. Temari would catch on, and could probably use it against her.

Sakura froze at the realisation. If she could get Temari on the run, and into the tunnel, she could deal some serious damage! She knew just what to do too. It would be almost exactly like what Shikamaru did to Sasuke, but with her own twist. Well, whatever worked.

Opening her pouch, she pulled out the kunai that she had prepared ahead of time, in case they would be needed. The little bags that were tied around the ends of the kunai, were filled with explosives. One hit from another kunai and boom!

As she traveled to the other side, she placed the kunai all along the tunnel. Now all she had to do was get Temari to hide in there and she'd be done.

Reaching the other opening, Sakura listened for any sounds. She couldn't hear anything which meant that Temari had stopped her assault when she realized that Sakura wasn't coming out of her hiding place.

She placed herself directly below the hole and added some extra chakra to her legs. She leapt from from the hole at a speed that her opponent couldn't follow.

Temari gasped when the girl appeared in the sky above her. The girl came down with her arm, extended for a punch. The Suna kunoichi could only lift her fan to block herself from any damage.

It didn't so her any good though. For some reason, when the little girl's fist made contact with her fan, it made a dent in the steel and caused Temari to fly across the arena.

"What the hell was that?!" she shouted in surprise when she finally was able to stand.

Sakura smiled and charged, "Something that I've been working on."

Temari saw that her fist was cocked back again and was barely able to jump away in time. She paled when the ground where she had once been was reduced to an enormous hole. What was with that girl? How could someone so small have that much strength?

She looked around frantically when she saw the Konoha kunoichi coming again and spotted the hole that she had used to try and trap her. That was it! If she could use it to get away, then so could she!

Sakura smirked when Temari jumped into her trap. Stepping up to the hole she pulled out a paper bomb and jumped high, throwing it at the kunai the Temari didn't notice was buried in the ground, the bag barely visible.

When the bomb connected, it set of an entire chain of explosions that had the ground ruined. When the smoke cleared, Temari's body was seen lying amongst the rubble.

Genma was there to check her pulse. He smirked, _Man these kids are rough!_ And those punches were ridiculous! "Winner by Technical Knockout is Sakura Haruno!"

The spectators were excited. There was a lot of explosions in this exam and they couldn't be any happier with how amazing the fights were.

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Kakashi was probably the most shocked out of all of the sensei. The one whom he thought from the get go was the most promising, lost to the laziest ninja ever born because he got too full of himself. The second whom he was positive wouldn't stand a chance against her opponent for long ended up winning while she showed her perfect chakra control and intelligent mind. And finally, the one that he was absolutely sure had no chance whatsoever against a Hyuga of all people won with a swing of a sword.

It was becoming clear to him that he severely under and overestimated his students. He felt ashamed that he put so much faith in Sasuke's abilities and didn't believe in his other two students.

The other sensei's were shocked at how Kakashi's students had done as well. The Uchiha lost to Shikamaru which was a shocker. Naruto defeated a Hyuuga prodigy with only one Kenjutsu technique and Sakura outsmarted her opponent with her mind and chakra control. To say that everyone was shocked, was an understatement.

**He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!He's A Girl?!**

Genma cleared his throat, "The first round of the Third Exam is over. The second round will commence after a fifteen minute intermission."

Naruto was thinking of what to do. If she got paired up against Hinata, she'd have to use Taijutsu. Shikamaru would be a whole other story and would actually prove to be a challenge. His mind making him a formidable foe. Sakura would require Ninjutsu, because that was her weakness. Gaara, would demand that she go all out in order for them to have the ultimate battle.

She sighed in annoyance. She had a seventy-five percent chance of fighting one of her friends, and a one hundred percent chance of having to take her opponent seriously no matter what.

_Fuck!_

Genma cleared his throat, "The second and final part of the Third Exam will begin soon! Naruto Uzumaki and Shikamaru Nara front and center!"

Shikamaru and Naruto looked at each other. The Nara then turned his attention to Genma and said, "I forfeit."

"WHAT?!" the audience screamed.

"Any reason why?" Genma asked.

Shikamaru sghed, "Naruto and I are very similar, down to our intelligence. She and I have the same IQ, so were pretty much evenly matched in that area. However, she has more determination, drive and Jutsu than I do. It would be like fighting a non lazy version of myself but with more secret techniques that nobody knows about. Especially since my chakra is half way out, and she hasn't used any of hers."

Genma sighed, but didn't hold it against him, for he had a valid point. "Fine then. Winner by forfeit, Naruto Uzumaki. Uzumaki, you will still come down here and fight Sakura Haruno, whom the winner of this match was supposed to face," he told announced.

Sakura looked at Naruto and groaned. She turned to Genma and said, "I forfeit as well!"

Once again that had the crowd in an uproar.

"What's **your** reason?" Genma demanded, annoyed that everyone was taking the easy way out.

"Naruto is smarter than me, so her strategy would be better. I have no more weapons left. She knows more Ninjutsu than I do, and Genjutsu doesn't work on her. In Taijutsu, I may have more strength at the moment, but she has more speed and stamina than I do. She can also do Kenjutsu and Fuuinjutsu very well. All in all, I would be fighting a losing battle," she explained with a frown.

Genma rolled his eyes. She had a point as well. He just couldn't help but feel that they were all giving up too easily though. _Except for when facing that Gaara kid. He looks ready to kill anyone._

"Fine then, Naruto Uzumaki advances to the Finals. The remaining two get down here!" he ordered.

Gaara looked at Hinata, causing the girl to shrink back slightly, "For the sake of Uzumaki, I suggest you forfeit as well, or I will kill you in order to speed things up. She would be sad if you died."

Hinata knew that he wasn't lying. He hadn't used any chakra at all and couldn't be touched by his opponents. She didn't have the speed necessary to fight him. He also was giving her a chance for Naruto's sake, which meant that he liked Naruto in a way and didn't want to end up on her bad side.

"Come down here!" Genma ordered when they didn't move.

She turned to him and sighed, "I forfeit as well. There are too many reasons to name, but living for tomorrow is the main one."

Genma looked up to the Kage's box and rolled his eyes. _We're going to have to make a rule about forfeiting. _

"Will Sabaku no Gaara and Naruto Uzumaki come to the center of the arena, or is someone else going to forfeit?" he asked with a sardonic tone.

The two Genin appeared before him. One in a shroud of sand and the other in a swirl of fire. They were obviously ready to fight. This match, he was sure that neither of them were going to give in.

"Finally. The battle between Naruto Uzumaki of Konohagakure and Sabaku no Gaara of Sunagakure will commence now!" he announced, jumping back.

Naruto looked at Gaara, "You want this to be an all out battle don't you?"

He nodded, "I will be very angry if you don't come at at me with all you've got."

She smirked, "I don't think you can handle all I've got."

He cocked a brow at her teasing. "How about we find out together? In return, We'll see if you can handle all I've got."

Genma looked between them. Why did it sound like they were talking about something else? Something that Genin that age shouldn't be talking about?

Naruto smiled and made a hand sign. _I guess I'll remove the weight seals from my legs. That should give me the speed to get past his sand._ "Release."

The change was instantaneous. She felt lighter than air, which was ironic considering her main element was wind. Throwing him a smirk she said, "Here I come!"

Gaara was shocked stiff when she disappeared from his view. Suddenly, he felt pain for the first time as his head was slammed into the stadium wall.

Naruto backed up and waited for him to move.

He gradually removed himself from the indentation he had made in the wall and groaned. "You actually hurt me. The Lee boy hit me but I felt no pain. Yet you kicked me once and I can't stand what I'm feeling. This is what pain is!" he said, staring at his hands.

Naruto flew through some signs, _I Inu, Saru, Tora, Ushi, Tora, Tatsu, Uma, Hitsuji!_

A five tailed fox named Ho appeared. He was a little taller than Naruto with black and orange fur. The area around his eyes was white though, which drew attention to his icy blue eyes.. She was glad that she knew him and that he wasn't a hard person to work with. "Ho, I need you to use the Dragon Fire Jutsu on him. I'll add my Pressure Damage when you build up enough power," she said, patting his back.

He nodded, and took a deep breath. Opening his mouth he began to form a large fireball. Its size expanded greatly and Naruto made the signs for her jutsu.

Gaara's eyes widened and he moved his arms, causing the sand to create a dome around him.

Looking at Ho ,Naruto nodded and they both released their attacks. The large Fire Dragon met with the tornado and they fused together creating Red Dragons Flaming Breath. The beast roared as it hit Gaara's sand dome.

When the air cleared, a shiny glass ball stood in the middle of the stadium. She let Ho return home as she prepared for her next attack.

Naruto rushed the shiny fixture, creating a Shadow Clone in the process. They joined hands as they ran and a ball of lightning formed between their palms. The ball grew as the power increased. Naruto then compressed it, making the ball shrink as the clone added more power to it.

The Clone poofed as she neared the sphere. Pulling her arm back, she threw the small ball of lightning at the center, "Lightning Style: Discharge!"

The ball, smaller than her hand, broke through the glass. There was silence for a moment. Then, a scream came from the dome as lightning exploded in all directions creating a shower of spears that hit the ground completely surrounding Gaara.

The redhead was in a state of shock. His barrier was broken and at that moment, when it happened, he felt the worst thing in the world. There was excruciating pain in his stomach and he looked down to see a lot of skin and muscle missing. He watched in horror, as red liquid poured from the wound, drenching his pants.

He knew what the liquid was. He'd lived with such a thing his whole life. Practically bathing in it. Yet never had it been from his own body.

He felt uncomfortable looking at it. His heart was pounding fast and he realized that for the first time in his life, he was truly scared. Because of this, he did the only thing he could think of.

He screamed.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! IT'S BLOOD! IT"S MY BLOOOOOD!"

The air shifted and grew colder. Naruto gasped. _Is he doing what I think he's doing?!_

_**Yes! This has just gotten very dangerous! Even though he likes you in a strange way, he may not be able to distinguish you from anyone else. Tread cautiously!**_

Gaara's sand moved. She watched as his body shook slightly. The sand was covering his right arm now. His heavy breathing was guttural and deep.

He turned to her and she gasped. His eyes were no longer green, but gold with black sclera. He was smirking at her.

All of a sudden, she felt something strange. Looking around, Naruto saw the spectators fall asleep as feathers rained down from nowhere.

Kurama was quick to understand it, _**Genjutsu! **_

Everything changed. The Anbu who were present began attacking the Konoha shinobi who were still awake. The Jonin were fighting with strange ninja. Naruto looked up to the kage box and saw that the Kazekage had a kunai pressed to the Old Man's throat.

Genma was standing in front of her. "Suna and Oto are attacking!" he called over his shoulder.

Gaara was still grinning. Kankuro appeared out of thin air next to his brother. "Gaara, you can't do that here. We need a better place!" the boy panicked.

Suddenly, their sensei was next to them as well, "Gaara, go!"

The two boys nodded and Kankuro followed his brother.

He then turned to Genma and laughed, "I hope you prove to be a better challenge than the coughing idiot!"

Naruto's blood froze. _What did he just say?!_

_**Don't lose your composure Kit!**_

Genma frowned and cleared his throat, "Naruto Uzumaki, you will go and enlist the help of Shikamaru Nara, Sakura Haruno, and Hinata Hyuga. You will then go and pursue Sabaku no Gaara and Sabaku no Kankuro. Whatever they have planned, you have to stop it at all costs. This is an A rank mission that I am assigning to you as of right now. GO!"

The Genin nodded and paused before leaving, "Hit that prick hard. For Hayate sensei _and_ me."

She then jumped up to the competitors box, "You three and I, have to go and stop Gaara and his brother. Orders are from Genma Shiranui." She explained to her friends.

Hinata and Sakura nodded while Shikamaru groaned, "Oto and Suna are attacking us?! This is such a drag!"

Naruto couldn't agree more. She felt like kicking Gaara's ass hard for thinking about hurting her village. Apparently, they were planning on using Shukaku to take out Konoha.

_This is such a pain!_

_**Just make sure you keep a clear head Kit!**_

**A/N: Another chapter down!**

**Tell me what you think in your reviews!**

**Ja ne!**


	9. Ch 7 Invasion!(Shikamaru)

**A/N: So this is the next chapter!**

**!*THIS IS CHAPTER 7 'SHIKAMARU'. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR CHAPTER 7 'GAARA', CLICK ON THE 'NEXT' BUTTON*!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**I have no beta for this story.**

***NOTE* The battles were very different in the versions of chapter 6. Pairing were different, so were the outcomes and the ending. That gave me more work when writing this chapter, but it all plays out to what I plan on doing. Things will be similar, but I won't have everything be the same.**

**The person flamed me under 'guest'. "Atomic Fireball Jutsu!" I said that I would do that to any more flamers and I just did! Incase, you, didn't, know, commas, are, used, to, replace, the, words, and, but, or, nor, for, yet, and, are, there, to, give, pause. I, think, you're, a, Fucking, Asshole! Happy?! Was I slow enough for you? :D**

**Well, now that the douche was taken care of, on to something else! AH! Yes! Don't hate me when the people who become Chunin, aren't what you expected.*NOTE***

**Enjoy! :D**

Naruto, Shikamaru, Hinata and Sasuke were in pursuit of Gaara.

"Okay. We need to establish who our team leader is," Shikamaru announced as they ran through the forest. "I for one, think that it should be Naruto," he said.

The blonde blanched, _Why me?!_

Hinata nodded, "I agree!"

Sasuke hnned, but didn't argue the motion.

"Why me?!" the girl asked after coming out of her shock.

Shikamaru smiled slightly, "You have the intelligence."

She glared at him, "So do you!"

"You're a good sensei, which shows that you have great leadership skills," Hinata added her reason, giving her friend a wink.

Sasuke let out an annoyed sigh, "You know Fuuinjutsu and Kenjutsu, as well as the summoning jutsu and many others that none of us can hold a candle to. Now shut up dobe and lead us!"

They all convened around her, allowing her to take point.

Naruto groaned, but nodded. "Fine. I guess I couldn't have asked for a better squad. We have two different doujutsu users and two tacticians. Hinata, I want you to take the lead and keep an eye out for any ninja within a kilometers distance. Shikamaru is left handed and will take your left. Sasuke is the opposite and will take your right, while _I_ will guard your backs," she ordered.

They shifted positions quickly and asked simultaneously, "Now what?"

"Gaara has Kitten with him, so one person will have to fight him while the other three take down Gaara. I think that it should be Hinata because she has already fought him once before and she knows his fighting style better than any of us. I also want to see the look on his face when she beats him a second time," Naruto told them.

Hinata gasped, "We're being followed! By eight, no, nine ninja! About half a kilometer away. They appeared out of nowhere from behind us!"

Naruto growled. If they all stopped they could lose track of Gaara. She and Sasuke had the most chakra in all and the most power, so they had to be the ones that face the insane Jinchuuriki. Hinata would have to fight Kitten, so that left…..Shikamaru.

She looked up only to find him looking at her over his shoulder, "Yeah, I know it has to be me. Shadow Possession is a diversionary tactic anyway."

Instead of jumping on the next branch he landed on, he flung his body around, having it face in the opposite direction. "I'll catch up with you guys!" he called over his shoulder.

"Be safe!" Naruto yelled, taking Hinata's left.

Honestly, she was worried. How could she not be? Nine possible Chunin to Jonin level shinobi against one Genin. Though his I.Q. was extremely high and made him smarter than most, his jutsu wasn't a very long lasting one, which usually left him worn out after only a couple minutes use. In all reality, he could stall them one hundred percent, but his chance of survival was very low. She could only hope that someone would come along and help him.

"Do you think Shikamaru can do it? What if he bails?" Sasuke asked, giving her a cocked brow.

Naruto sniffed, "Shikamaru has an I.Q. of over two hundred. He's smart enough to catch the enemy without a problem. Though he may be very lazy, even _he_ knows when to get serious. His attitude has changed drastically within the past month alone." She then looked away as blush came to her face, "Besides, I believe in him."

Sasuke frowned at hearing that, but didn't comment.

After a few minutes of running, Hinata gasped once more, "More are coming! Three this time! None of them are the ones from before! They are coming from the west!"

Naruto growled in annoyance, "How many of them are there?!"

"I can see something coming close to them. It looks like…..oh! It's Shino! He followed them!" Hinata sighed in relief.

Three more ninja. Naruto groaned. Why were they just appearing? Didn't they have a village to destroy?

Hinata spoke once again, "They are engaging in combat! We'll pass them in a couple of seconds!"

Naruto was wondering if she should send Sasuke to help the Aburame.

When they came upon the scene, the trio couldn't hold back their laughter. Shino was holding three Oto ninja upside down with his Kikaichu and they were screaming like girls!

"Thanks Shino!" Naruto smiled.

Shino dropped the ninja when they were drained of their chakra. "I came to help you. Also, the Kazekage attacked the Hokage and locked them both inside a barrier that no one can break. They are fighting as we speak," he informed them.

Naruto cursed, "None of the Anbu could break it down?"

"Most of the Anbu were actually Oto ninja in disguise. Only a few are actually from Konoha and they can't do anything," Shino told her.

Naruto growled. _I really don't want to have to use __**him**_ _of all summons!_

_**Too bad Kit! He's the only being who could do it. Besides, I find nothing wrong with him, so why do you?**_

_He just acts like I'm, you know, a demon too! Like I'm a fox, and he flirts with me! It's freaky having a large animal hitting on you!_

_**If I had known that earlier….**_

_Don't even joke about that! I'll do it, okay!_

Biting her thumb, Naruto ran through the signs necessary, "Summoning Jutsu!"

Slamming her palm down on the ground, Naruto summoned the one being she was hoping she'd never have to ever see again.

Above the four Genin, stood a very large, white fox, with green swirl like markings on its face.

"_**Little Vixen! Have you finally summoned me to accept my proposition?**_" the animal asked with a deep throaty purr, looking around for its summoner.

Naruto shivered, "No Doku."

The fox looked down at her, its eyes widening. "_**There you are my vixen. If you don't wish to mate, then what do you need me for?**_"

Naruto ignored her teammates when they all fixed her with questioning looks. "Doku, you told me that your poison can corrode anything, right?"

The animal smirked, flashing its enormous pointy teeth, "_**Of course I did, and I wasn't lying. Why**_?"

Naruto turned to Shino, "What does this barrier look like?"

"Large and purple, on top of the Kage's box at the stadium. You can barely see through it," the Aburame heir explained.

She turned to Doku, who had been listening to their interaction with interest. "The Hokage is sealed within a large and supposedly, unbreakable barrier. I need you to go, and use as much poison as it takes to get rid of it please?"

Doku sighed, "_**Fine, but you will owe me later vixen.**_"

She didn't want to think about what he had in mind at the moment and shook her head. "Head west and keep going until you see it. Once it's gone, you may do whatever you wish," she told him.

"Come on! We need to catch up to Gaara and Kitten now!" she ordered, jumping off and into the forest once again.

The others caught up with her quickly. Sasuke was the one to ask first, "How _did_ you learn to summon?"

"I came across the contract once. I didn't really want to summon Doku though, because he's just weird," she grumbled.

"You think so because he was coming onto you?" Shino asked in a monotone voice.

Hinata and Sasuke snickered, much to Naruto's annoyance, "Don't we have an enemy to go and stop? Let's focus on that!"

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Orochimaru! Stop this nonsense now! You can still repent for your actions!" Hiruzen Sarutobi tried to reason with his student.

Orochimaru smirked, "Why sensei, don't tell me you're still trying to get me to become _good_?"

"Lord Hokage!" came the shouts of the Anbu who were trying to break the barrier surrounding the two shinobi.

"What is _that_?!" a horrified yell caught their attention briefly.

Orochimaru and Sarutobi looked up to see a gigantic fox standing over the barrier. A fiendish grin on its face.

"_**So…..this is the so called 'impenetrable barrier' that has everyone worried**_," it said, in a teasing voice.

Every shinobi who was fighting, stopped to watch the enormous animal open its mouth, and pour a green liquid all over the barrier. Smoke arose from the barrier as a putrid odor filled the arena.

Sarutobi jumped back in order to dodge the falling globs of liquid as they leaked through the barrier, making sizzling noises.

Orochimaru watched in horror as his special barrier, that required a lot of his and his four shinobi's chakra, was eaten away like it was nothing.

"_**How pathetic, Naruto sent me here because she said that there was an impenetrable barrier for me to destroy. That was weak**_," the fox sighed in annoyance.

"Naruto sent you here?" Sarutobi asked in shock.

The fox nodded, "I take it, you're the Hokage? Do you have anyone that I can kill, because I received no challenge from that pathetic excuse of a barrier."

Orochimaru bristled in annoyance at what the fox was saying. His barrier was powerful enough to stop every shinobi in Konoha, so he didn't feel all that bad that a summoned animal could destroy it. It was just annoying listening to the beast down his amazing work.

"I don't think that'll be necessary!"

Everyone turned to the new addition to the party.

"Master Jiraiya!" many Konoha shinobi called out in relief.

Jiraiya was standing next to his old sensei along with the Konoha Anbu who had taken the destruction of the barrier as a chance to save their Hokage.

Orochimaru frowned as his chances of killing his sensei decreased drastically. If it was just him and the old man, it would've been a cinch. The Hokage was getting up there in years and had no hope in hell of defeating him.

With another Sannin added into the mix, who had full chakra reserves, and at least two squads of Anbu backing the old man up, he was at a severe disadvantage. He chanced a glance around the arena, to see himself mostly surrounded by angry Konoha shinobi.

He growled and performed the summoning jutsu at an alarming rate.

"_**What?! Orochimaru, why have you summoned me?! I will kill you for you for this you brat!**_" a large purple snake appeared, looking the full definition of pissed.

"Oh dear Manda, all of these shinobi are for you!" Orochimaru smirked, thinking that he had won.

Before either of them could react, something green was covering both of them. Manda screamed in agony and dispelled himself. Orochimaru landed in the rooftop with a loud thud. His arms and face were burning!

"_**Care to try something else? Perhaps, something that can give me a challenge**_?" taunted the fox that hadn't moved an inch.

Orochimaru grunted as he tried to stand. With his Four Flames Formation Barrier and his summoning destroyed, he had expended a lot of chakra that did absolutely nothing in the end. Also, he'd shed three skins already and changed two bodies. It would be a while before he could do so again.

He didn't even have the chakra left to use his special Substitution Jutsu.

"Lord Orochimaru!"

Kabuto appeared at his side, "We're severely outnumbered!"

"Get us out of here!" the Snake Sannin hissed with a glare.

Kabuto nodded faithfully and grabbed his master. Both shinobi began to disappear.

"Know this, I will destroy Konoha and obtain the Uchiha! The Kyuubi brat will pay for ruining my plans again!" he swore, before their presence was gone.

"_**Well, I'm going to return to Naruto now. Maybe she'll have an actual challenge for me**_," said the fox as is turned and headed back in the direction it had come from.

Sarutobi gave a relieved sigh. He straightened up, "Alright! I want you all to go out and apprehend the remaining Oto and Suna shinobi now!"

Jiraiya stayed behind in order to have a word with his sensei. "Can you believe that one summon from Naruto, could have such an effect on the outcome of your battle?" he asked with a grin.

Sarutobi smiled, "Yes I can. Naruto has a tendency to surprise people. I'm grateful for her help."

Jiraiya looked up at the sky, "Yeah she does."

"I'm getting too old for this shit," Sarutobi mumbled, rolling his eyes when Jiraiya laughed at him.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

"Gaara, you need to listen!" Naruto yelled as she dodged yet another one of his sand attacks.

"Fight me for real Uzumaki! Show me your power!" the Ichibi Jinchuuriki yelled back.

Shino and Hinata had taken to fighting the Kitten, which had left Naruto and Sasuke to fight Gaara.

Sasuke had attempted to use his Chidori three more times, but failed to actually land a hit on the enemy. Gaara attacked when the Uchiha was powerless and weak from chakra exhaustion, leaving the boy unconscious.

"Your friend couldn't do anything, but I know that you are a worthy opponent! FIGHT ME!" Gaara screamed in a shrill voice.

Naruto created a massive group of Shadow Clones and sent them to attack her fellow Jinchuuriki.

"You think that is going to help you?! Don't make me laugh!"

She watched in veiled annoyance as her clones were destroyed easily. _I really don't want to fight him!_

_**Too bad Kit! He wants to fight you no matter what, so either you get serious, or I'll step in!**_

She growled while forming a few hand signs as Kurama's chakra flooded her body, "Fire Style: Searing Migraine!"

She then followed it up with, "Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"

Gaara laughed chaotically as his sand moved to protect him. A large wall of glass hiding his deformed body from Naruto's view.

She waited for his to come out and shivered as his killing intent rose to a nearly tangible level.

"YES! THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO SEE!SHOW ME MORE OF YOUR POWER!"

She blanched when he blew the glass away to reveal his half transformed state.

_**You can't let him finish the transformation Kit!**_

_I know that!_

Pulling out some shuriken, she channeled her Wind Chakra into them and threw them at Gaara's head. "Wind Style: Gale Palm!"

The redheads tail moved to deflect them. He was shocked when the weapons actually sliced right through it, instead if being knocked away like they should've been. His balance was shaken and he fell over.

A thunderous noise had them looking up and into the green eyes of Naruto's fox summon Doku.

"_**Can I kill this one? That barrier was so boring**_," the fox stated, giving Gaara a creepy grin.

Gaara looked between the fox and Naruto. Then, the most unnerving smile, if it could even be called a smile, lit up his face.

"I will enjoy killing you Uzumaki!" he said. His hands formed a sign as more sand layered itself onto his body, making him look like a mini Shukaku. His chakra level rose exponentially before the sand exploded.

Naruto punched the nearest tree and cursed. The wind blew away the smoke that had risen from the explosion to reveal the released form of Shukaku the Sand Spirit.

"Well Uzumaki, what are you going to do now?!" Gaara asked with a guttural laugh.

She looked at Doku and he nodded. The fox was across the wide expanse in a flash of white, latching onto Gaara with his teeth.

The massive body swelled, "Wind Style: Air Bullets!"

Doku was blown away, landing roughly before dispelling.

_Well, he was never all that great when taking a hit. I guess I'll have to summon a toad._

_I, Inu, Tora, Saru O-hitsuji!_ "Summoning Jutsu!"

Gamabunta, the Chief Toad, appeared in a swirl of smoke. "_**Is that the Shukaku?**_" he asked.

Naruto, who was standing in the toads head, gave a loud, "Yeah!"

"**Great,**" the toad mumbled sardonically.

Gaara's upper body appeared at the top of the tanuki's head. "I will defeat you Uzumaki! Your blood, will make my existence even better!" he said forming the O-hitsuji seal. "Secret Jutsu: Art of Playing Possum."

"_**Kid this isn't good! Now that he's asleep, the Shukaku can freely take over!**_" Gamabunta said while readying his tanto.

"_**YES! I'M FREE BABY! AND LOOK, SOMETHING TO KILL!**_" shouted the crazy demon. His stomach swelled, "_**WIND STYLE: AIR BULLETS!**_"

Gamabunta jumped high, "_**Water Style: Water Bullets!**_"

The two attacks clashed and cancelled each other out. Gamabunta kanded and growled. "_**We need to wake up the kid. That will release the jutsu! But I don't have the necessary things to get a good grip on the stupid Tanuki! We need to do a combined transformation!**_"

Naruto gaped, "What?!"

"_**Just form the sign for me since I'm not that good at transformation. We'll use my chakra instead of yours!**_" came her reply. "_**Make sure it has fangs and claws! Here we go!**_"

She thought of what she could transform into, and smirked, "Transformation Jutsu!"

The figure that erupted from the smoke, was Kurama, or at least a transformation of Kurama. Shukaku was so surprised, he couldn't move and was caught in Gamabunta's hold. "_**Now kid!**_"

Naruto jumped off the chief's head and onto Shukaku's.

"_**Vixen don't you dare!**_" Shukaku shouted.

She ignored him as she ran up the great expanse of his head. Pouring Kurama's chakra into her body allowed her to run freely without the sand trying to cover her form.

Gaara's body was dangling from where it stuck out at the crown if Shukaku's head. She loaded Kurama's chakra into her fist and rammed it into the side of his head.

"_**NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!**_" came the angry voice of the sand spirit.

The great body cracked and split in every direction as sand began to fall to the ground.

Gaara's eyes shot open and he clutched his head in pain.

Gamabunta sighed in relief, "_**Do you need me for anything else kid?**_"

"I got this Chief. Thanks," Naruto called to him while jumping after Gaara's fallen body.

Landing on the ground, she walked over to the bleeding Gaara.

"Get away from me! I refuse to let my existence disappear! Stay away!" the boy screamed.

Kankuro and Temari appeared in front of their brother, both looking like they'd been through hell. Temari must have awoken.

She ignored them and looked Gaara in the eye. "You grew up alone, right? You said that your village hates you and that your own father tried to have you killed when you didn't turn out the way he wanted?" she asked.

Kankuro and Temari looked at each other in shock. When had Gaara told her all of that? And why did they feel guilty for some reason.

Gaara didn't answer. He just looked at her with wide eyes.

"You hated your village for hating you. You were alone all the time. You only had yourself. I was the same way," Naruto sighed.

Temari looked at Kankuro who shrugged.

"I was in the same boat as you, for such a long time. I remember hating them, and wanting them to all suffer for what they had put me through. Unlike you though, I had someone from the beginning. The Hokage passed a law, that no one could talk about my _problem_ or else they would suffer the death penalty. He didn't know that I knew why they treated me such a way. He didn't know that I had been in contact with the Kyuubi for most of my life," she explained making all of their eyes go wide.

"It was the Yondaime's wish for people to regard me as a hero. I was the only one around at the time. If I wasn't there, Konoha wouldn't exist anymore. The people don't see it that way of course. They judge me for something that I had no control over and treat me as if I _am_ the Kyuubi. I would've ended up just like you, if it weren't for the very few people, who acknowledged me as someone who was worthy of living. The Hokage, Iruka sensei, the Ichiraku's, and my best friend Hinata. Granted Hinata didn't know, but unlike every other kid who listened to their parents and avoided me, she ignored her father and was there for me," Naruto sighed and looked at the redhead with saddened eyes.

"You saw how much the village hates me. Yesterday they burned my house down, hoping to rid the world of the Kyuubi. They do it every year on my birthday. I'm not happy about it, but if I know that they do it, why haven't I killed them? Did you wonder about that?" she asked Gaara.

He nodded, but didn't speak.

"I've had full control over the Kyuubi for a while. I can kill them any time I want. But, I know that that isn't the right thing to do. I decided that if I want them to see that I'm not a monster, I need to prove myself. I want to become the Hokage, so I can protect my home, my precious people and to gain the respect of the ones who hate me. It won't be an easy thing, but all great people weren't just given everything right off the bat. They had to work to get where they are. I plan to change this village. So that one day, I can walk down the street with a proud smile and know that I earned their respect all on my own," Naruto told the boy.

"I exist to become better. To protect my precious people and to prove to the world that a Jinchuuriki is worthy of existing and that we aren't monsters. Are you willing to join me, in proving that we deserve to live like everyone else? To protect your precious ones?" the blonde asked with a serious look.

Gaara's eyes were glossy with unshed tears, "I don't have anyone. I'm a monster, and nobody wants anything to do with a demon."

Naruto smiled suddenly and stepped around Kitten and his sister to kneel at Gaara's side. "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuuriki of the Kyuubi no Youko, Kurama. I would like it if you, Sabaku no Gaara, Jinchuuriki of the Ichibi no Tanuki, Shukaku would be my friend," she held out her hand.

Gaara looked between her hand and her face, "You're serious? I'm not like you. I kill people without batting an eyelash. Can you really be okay with being, _friends_ with someone like me?"

Naruto smiled sadly, "I know how you feel Gaara. Kurama isn't blood thirsty though, so I didn't end up like you. Shukaku is the most unstable of all the Bijuu. I'm pretty sure, that if one of the others was sealed within you, you'd be different. However, that isn't the case. I can be your friend because I can connect with you. I will ask you to be patient with me though. I tend to act like an idiot at times, for many reasons."

Gaara looked long and hard at her hand. Probably trying to see if it was a trick. Naruto decided to help the process along and grabbed his hand firmly. "There, we shook on it. You can't back out now," she smirked.

She pointed to the red collar around her throat, "Can you take this off me?"

He nodded and waved a hand. The sand moved away from her and she grinned at the new free feeling. "Thanks," she winked.

"Now, there are a lot of things going on. I suggest that if you don't want to be incarcerated, you get out of here quickly," she said, standing up and moving away from them.

Kankuro and Temari were looking at her on shock. She was just like their brother, but different. With everything she had said, they felt so much guilt. For blaming Gaara for their mother's death, when they both knew it was Shukaku's fault. For blaming him his whole life for something he didn't have any control over. They felt terrible.

Bending down, they each wrapped an arm around their little brother and nodded to Naruto. "Thank you," Kankuro mumbled, looking uncomfortable.

Naruto shrugged, "Maybe we'll see each other again soon. Under better circumstances."

As the sand siblings turned and left, Naruto followed their example. She threw Sasuke over her shoulder and jumped off into what remained of the forest to look for Hinata and Shino.

Both were lying on the ground, huffing and puffing, but had small injuries thankfully. Naruto was wondering how she going to get them back to the village, when Shikamaru and his sensei Asuma, appeared.

"Naruto, what happened?" Asuma asked.

She breathed deeply, "Gaara is like me. They were going to use him as a weapon. If you know what I mean."

Asuma's mouth dropped and his cigarette fell to the ground.

"So that's why they were all so scared of him and scared to make a move," Shikamaru nodded to himself, shocking his sensei.

Shino nodded, "I can see how that would be a big deal."

Everyone looked at he Aburame in shock. He just shrugged, "My Kikaichu told me about the Kyuubi a while ago."

"And Shikamaru and I found out last night, when he and Naruto saved me from Naruto's burning house," Hinata coughed as she spoke.

"Okaaaay. Well, lets get you all to the hospital. Naruto, you're going to have to report to the Hokage," Asuma told her as he picked up Shino and Shikamaru picked up Hinata.

Naruto rolled her eyes as they set off for the village.

She and Shikamaru spoke about the battles on the way and any possible moves they could have made that would've made the outcomes better.

Asuma just shrugged it off. Young Love. It was a fickle thing and he wasn't too sure that it would last between them.

Time would tell.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed in annoyance. As the Hokage, he had to put up with the annoying civilians on the council. The ones that thought they had power over what happened to _his_ shinobi.

He had announced the Genin who were being promoted to Chunin and had to suffer the negative reactions from the Naruto haters.

"Those who will be promoted to the rank of Chunin are: Hinata Hyuga, Haruno Sakura, Shikamaru Nara, Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki," he announced to the room.

"WHAT?!" many of the civilians yelled in outrage.

"How can you let that thing become a Chunin?!" one of them ask/yelled.

Shikaku Nara was the one to answer that question. He stood and cleared his throat, "She displayed amazing use of Fuuinjutsu. A complete mastery of Kenjutsu, which is shocking for someone her age. Good leadership skills when she was given a team to stop the Suna Jinchuuriki. Defeated the Jinchuuriki by herself and came back with her team alive. Possesses two summoning contracts according to Master Jiraiya. One of which saved Lord Hokage from Orochimaru. Has the intelligence required, because she passed the test I had written up for the First Exam without cheating. Kept a level head through all the danger and ultimately proved to be a useful shinobi. One who is deserving of the rank of Chunin. _I_ for one, think she should be a Jonin, but that is Lord Hokage's decision."

With his piece said, Shikaku sat back down. The other clan heads and shinobi were nodding along with what the Nara had said. Even Hiashi, who wasn't the biggest fan of Naruto's, had to agree.

He stood, "If I may, I would also like to add that the Uzumaki has somehow changed my daughter Hinata. I remember Hinata being timid and shy. Too afraid to fight back or even raise her voice. The Hinata that we all saw in the Chunin Exams was the product of the Uzumaki's training her. I think she would make an exceptional teacher if you couple this proof with her obviously high intelligence and amazing skills."

Everyone was slack jawed. Hiashi Hyuga had just defended Naruto of all people!

Sarutobi nodded in pride. Naruto was moving the hearts of people. Maybe not at the fastest of paces, but the fact that the Hyuga Head, was standing up for her, meant alot.

"Now, I will be giving the promotions tomorrow. Onto another matter. I'm getting to the point in time where I feel I need to retire, for good this time. Jiraiya has refused to take up the seat as Hokage. Besides, he has his spy network to keep up with," Hiruzen told them all.

"Who will be the Godaime then?" Homura asked.

Sarutobi looked over at his advisors, "I'm sending Jiraiya out on a mission to get Tsunade."

Everyone blanched at the sound of the name.

"Really?" came a simultaneous question from everyone in the room.

"Yes. Now, there is one more matter that we must discuss. It turns out, that Suna was being tricked by Orochimaru. They just found the body of the Kazekage and his personal guard in a ditch outside of Suna. The analysis is, that he had been dead for more than a month. Since before the Exams. Therefore, we will not hold this against them as they were played. Under the demand from their Jinchuuriki, Sabaku no Gaara, third child of the Yondaime Kazekage, they have offered a peace treaty between our nations. When asked, Gaara simply stated that he would help Naruto in any way, and peace between us would be best in the long run. Another good reason to promote Naruto," Sarutobi told them all.

The whole council was shocked. Too shocked to say anything.

"Now that everything is out of the way, this meeting is adjourned," Sarutobi said, much to the relief of the clan heads and the shinobi.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto stood beside his team, Shikamaru and Hinata, inside the Hokage's office.

"So why are we here Gramps?" she asked when no one spoke.

Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma and Hiruzen all sighed. Leave it to Naruto to lack respect, even in important situations.

"I have summoned you all here to proudly tell all of you, that you have been promoted!" the Sandaime smiled.

The Jonin sensei were also smiling, Kakashi more than the others. His whole team had been promoted to Chunin! The first team he ever passed had become Chunin only three months after graduating from the academy. And on their first try! He was so proud!

Though it was saddening that he hadn't done much to help the process, he was still happy with the fact that his whole team was promoted. He had also won a bet that he had had with Gai over whose team would have a Chunin when it was all said and done.

Team seven was excited to be getting their promotion along with Hinata. Shikamaru groaned and mumbled, "Great more work. What a drag."

Naruto pouted, "Now that we're Chunin, we'll probably get put on more missions together. Especially since we were all in the academy together and know each other better. Are you saying that hanging out with me is a drag?"

Shikamaru blushed slightly, "No! I'm just saying that becoming a Chunin means that I have to do more work. And work is such a drag."

They each received their flak vests and scrolls that marked their age at their promotion.

Sarutobi sighed, "Everyone but Naruto is dismissed. Naruto, I have a mission for you."

Naruto waited till everyone else left, before asking about said mission.

"You will be going with Jiraiya to find someone. In the meantime, he will be training you as you travel. This is also a C Rank mission. Any questions?"

Naruto folded her arms, "Who are we finding?"

"Tsunade. She will be the Godaime and I will be retiring," Hiruzen with a twinkle in his eye.

Naruto groaned, "I wanted the day you retire to be the day you fork over that hat!"

Hiruzen laughed. Some things would never change!

"Well, I hope the Slug Sannin is really good enough for it. Or I _will_ take the hat from her and plant my ass in that seat myself!" the girl exclaimed, chakra blazing.

Hiruzen chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, she is."

"Can I bring someone with me?" she asked suddenly, getting an idea.

The Sandaime thought about it, "Who do you have in mind?"

Naruto smirked, "Oh, certain little person that could glean from such an experience."

_It would be funny to see their reaction to the Pervy Sage too!_

_**Kit you are evil!**_

**A/N: So, I had to have the council in here for some reason. I guess I wanted to make it obvious that the village still hates Naruto. Like in chapter 5. I had them burn down her house on her birthday to show how deep their hatred is. I don't want it getting too, 'Naruto seems to have everybody's respect and isn't really all that hated', because she still is.**

**The name Doku, means 'venom'. It works for him I think.**

**Let me know what you think please? I plan to have someone accompany Naruto on her mission. A mission that you are all aware of. Besides the Pervy Sage, who do you think she'll bring? ;)**

**Until the next chapter!**

**Ja ne! :D**


	10. Ch 7 Invasion!(Gaara)

**A/N: So this is the next chapter!**

**!*THIS IS CHAPTER 7 'GAARA'. IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR CHAPTER 7 'SHIKAMARU', CLICK ON THE 'PREV' BUTTON*!**

**I don't own Naruto.**

**I have no beta for this story.**

***NOTE* The battles were very different in the versions of chapter 6. Pairing were different, so were the outcomes and the ending. That gave me more work when writing this chapter, but it all plays out to what I plan on doing. Things will be similar, but I won't have everything be the same. **

**The person flamed me under 'guest'. "Atomic Fireball Jutsu!" I said that I would do that to any more flamers and I just did! Incase, you, didn't, know, commas, are, used, to, replace, the, words, and, but, or, nor, for, yet, and, are, there, to, give, pause. I, think, you're, a, Fucking, Asshole! Happy?! Was I slow enough for you? :D**

**Well, now that the douche was taken care of, on to something else! AH! Yes! Don't hate me when the people who become Chunin, aren't what you expected.*NOTE***

**Enjoy! :D**

Naruto and her team chased after Gaara and his brother. _Oooh! When I catch up to him, I'm going to shove a rotating kunai up his ass!_

_**You seem to like that threat a lot. Yet, you never follow through. I remember you saying that you'd do that to him before and it never happened.**_

_Shut up!_

Shikamaru had insisted that she lead them all. The others agreed with him, which wasn't appreciated by Naruto in the least. She didn't want to lead anyone! She just wanted to kick a hot boys ass!

_**And fondle it too!**_

_Shut up!_

"Fine then! You three will take on Kitten. I'm sure you can do it fine, but leave Gaara to me. We have a lot in common and it would be dangerous if you guys were around. I'd be worried and my attention would be split," she ordered in a firm voice.

Shikamaru glanced at her, "Would this have anything to do with what happened at the hospital?"

She nodded and asked, "How did you know?"

The Nara shrugged, "Put together your birthday, the death of the Yondaime, the defeat of the Kyuubi. The villagers hatred of you and how you're singled out of everything. It wasn't all that hard to figure out."

"And you don't care?" she asked.

"You've proven to be just Naruto. You fight for what you believe in and that's good with me. Besides, there is a difference between a scroll and what's sealed inside," he told her.

Naruto smiled, Truly touched at what he said. "Thanks. Gaara is the same as me in that area. He isn't stable though. That's why I want you guys away from him. I also have a few things to say to him," she sighed.

Shikamaru shrugged.

"We have company! Nine ninja are gaining on us!" Hinata told them all.

Naruto growled in annoyance. They needed to catch up to Gaara quickly. She could ruin a platoon of ninja in an instant, if needed. With a sigh, she bit her thumb and smeared the blood down her forearm.

_Tora, Inu, Uma, Saru, Hitsuji!_

A small black fox named Kage appeared. His red eyes flashed as he ran to keep up with her. "_**What do you need of me?**_" he asked.

"I need you to kill the nine ninja coming after us," she ordered. The fox nodded and stopped on a tree branch.

Shikamaru looked back at the creature. "What can a tiny little thing like that do?"

Naruto smirked, "Kage is a controller of shadows. He will most likely cover that area of forest in a shadow that the enemy will sink into and will die. Imagine, stepping on a shadow and falling through it to your death. That's what he specializes in."

Hinata and Sakura shivered from the tone she used.

"Let's keep going!"

They had finally been able to catch up with Kitten and Gaara. As planned, the others attacked Kitten and led him away while Naruto stayed to fight Gaara.

"Gaara, tell me why I shouldn't kick your ass for attacking my village?!" she demanded.

Gaara's half crazed face broke out into a smile. "I don't care about that! You, are far more interesting than that! I do what I want and I want to fight you! If I win, you will be mine whether you like it or not!" he yelled in a hysteric voice.

_**Kit, he is challenging you on mating terms. You have to defeat him. This is no longer about war on the village. This has to do with personal issues. **_

_I can see that! All I have to do is win?_

_**Then you can choose whether or not you want him to court you.**_

Naruto sighed, "You want to fight me for real then fine. But take this collar off me."

Gaara's eyes narrowed on her.

She scoffed, "Are you saying that you can't beat me on your own? You really need this to win?"

Gaara waved a hand and the sand disappeared. "You will fight me with all of your strength, Uzumaki," he said with a sneer.

Naruto nodded, "Fine then. When do we begin?"

Gaara smirked and charged.

She moved aside and created several Shadow Clones. Gaara blew through them easily and she made some hand signs, "Lightning Style: False Darkness!"

Gaara used his tail to shield himself, but the spear of lightning moved around him and struck the tree branch he was standing on. The tree exploded and Gaara was sent flying.

Naruto began throwing exploding tags all over the area. When Gaara jumped back up to Naruto's level he was trapped. Surrounded on every side by explosives. Naruto stopped on another sign as Kurama's chakra flowed through her body. "Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"

She watched as Gaara couldn't move fast enough and was caught in the blast. Part of her worried for him and another was happy that her plan had worked.

She waited for the smoke to clear.

"Wind Style: Air Bullets!"

She was blown away by a hit to the stomach. He airborne body was moving too fast for her to react in any way. Finally, she hit something hard. It didn't give away from the force of which she had landed and she looked to the said to see purple. Suddenly, body was on fire and she screamed, falling off the purple thing.

When she landed, she rolled around, trying get the flames to snuff out. "Fuck that hurt!" she groaned as she stood. Looking down at her body, she noted that her arms were blackened and that her advanced healing was working to fix the charred skin.

"That smells so gross," she shivered.

Looking around, she noticed that she was back at the stadium. _It took one jutsu to get me all the way back here. Geez!_

The purple thing she had hit, was a barrier of some sort. Inside, stood the Hokage and Orochimaru!

She knew enough not to touch the barrier, especially after it burned her. That had hurt like hell!

She analyzed the barrier and frowned. _No one can get in or out. Not unless one of the casters releases their part._

_**You're not going to use **_**that** _**are you? It's forbidden for a reason.**_

_Like I care about it being forbidden or not! And why would you care? You're the one who taught it to me!_

_**I'm just saying. Some won't be happy about you using it.**_

_Well, it's either that and help Gramps, or let Orochimaru kill him!_

_**He is the Hokage for a reason you know?**_

_Yeah, but he's getting old. Stop arguing with me! Gaara hasn't shown up yet, so I'll lend a hand until he arrives._

_**Touchy touchy!**_

_Ehh, shut up!_

Naruto shook off the pain from being burned and ran to the nearest corner of the barrier. The person behind it was watching her in smugness. Her smirk got on Naruto's nerves.

"You can't break this barrier little girl. Why don't you go and play with your dollies!" the red head taunted.

Naruto smirked. _I'll use it on her!_

_**Kami help the girl.**_

Naruto bit her thumbs and rubbed the blood beneath her eyes. Forming many hand signs that were no longer taught, Naruto laughed at the girls confused look. Making sure they had eye contact, she activated the Jutsu.

"Kinjutsu: Jibakugan!"

Glowing red markings appeared under the girls eyes and she slumped a little.

Naruto smirked. Jibakugan was a Kinjutsu that allowed the caster to take over their victims free will by bringing their deepest emotions forward and making their minds easy to take over. The Jutsu will never cancel unless the Sharingan breaks the victim from the hold, the caster is killed or the victim is forced to smell New Moon Flower Perfume. Even if the person was killed, the Jutsu would stay in place.

It was deemed dangerous decades ago and was no longer taught in villages.

Naruto looked at the girl and ordered, "Release the barrier."

The girl nodded and make the sign necessary. The barrier broke and Naruto smirked in triumph.

Orochimaru looked around as his barrier lost its power. He looked over to his minions to find the Kyuubi brat smirking in his direction. What had she done?! There was no physical way to break the barrier. None!

Naruto looked at her victim, "Go and kill the others who made this barrier. Do not stop until they are dead. Then kill your leader."

The girl nodded and pulled out a flute. She then turned to her comrades, who had been shouting questions at her.

She began to play her flute and Naruto smirked at Orochimaru's horrified look.

"You aren't the only one who knows Kinjutsu!" she sang.

Before she could go any farther, she sensed an attacking flying right at her!

She was quick and dodged the wind jutsu just in time.

It seemed that Gaara had finally caught up with her. Making some signs she smirked, "Wind Style: Devastation!"

The strong blast of air came and blew the Suna Jinchuuriki away.

Naruto looked around, wondering what to do.

She noticed the Anbu had finally appeared to assist their Hokage. Her puppet was killing her comrades and Gaara was coming from her left at an abnormal speed!

She moves away from him and reached into her kunai holster. Putting both hands together, she focused, "Wind Style: Gale Palm!" She threw the kunai, adding the jutsu to make them fly faster and much harder to dodge.

It worked as they all landed in Gaara's chest. He grunted from the pain and looked down at the blood coming from his wounds. "Yes," he whispered. "Show me all that you have!"

His sand rose up and rushed to Naruto.

She groaned and flew through some more signs while Kurama poured his chakra into the jutsu.

"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb!"

Three streams of fire rushed forth. Each taking on the shape of a dragon that roared as they charged. The middle headed straight for Gaara and the other two took the sides, coming up on the Jinchuuriki from different angles.

The ever moving sand was there to defend the boy like always, turning into glass from the heat.

She took the chance to use another jutsu. Though she felt a little bad for what she was about to do, it had to be done.

Her lightning chakra formed a spear in her hand. Shaping it just right, she aimed, "Lightning Style: Lightning Bolt!"

The spear went straight through the glass and connected.

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!"

The inhuman scream sent shivers down the spines of all those who were present.

An explosion shook the area and a cloud of smoke covered the whole stadium.

When the wind blew it all away, everyone was horrified to see the full form of Shukaku the Sand Spirit towering over them. Dwarfing their small bodies.

Gaara's body was sticking out of the head. His eyes only on Naruto.

"I agree that you can handle me, but what about Shukaku?" he said with a grin.

The boy made a sign, "Secret Jutsu: Art of Playing Possum."

His body went limp and a deep laugh sounded.

"_**HA HA HA HA HA HA HA! FINALLY FREE!**_" the voice of Shukaku chuckled in glee.

The great demon looked down at Naruto and gave a devious smirk, "_**Little Vixen, prepare yourself**_."

Naruto curse and jumped away from the Kage box and out into the forest. There was no way she was going to fight him there! All of those unconscious people and he would kill them without a problem!

_Fuck! I need to summon! _

She drew blood once again and hoped beyond all hope that the fox she was summoning wasn't _him_!

_Tora, Uma, Tori, I, Ushi, U, Tatsu, Inu, Saru, Hitsuji!_

"Summoning Jutsu!"

An explosion of smoke and rush of wind told her she had succeeded.

She was standing atop a large pure white, six tailed fox named Seikyo. She briefly thanked the Kami that it wasn't Doku. Seikyo's name, which meant 'doom', was the perfect description of his personality and skills. He was also a messenger of Inari and could summon the fox god to battle at anytime.

They stood on equal height with Shukaku now. The two large animals easily seen from anywhere in the village.

Seikyo was glaring at Shukaku. "_**I hate Tanuki**_," he spat.

Shukaku laughed, "_**What does a little fox like you think you can accomplish? Get outta my way. I'm testing the Vixen for mating rights.**_"

Seikyo growled at the demon, "_**Not while I'm here!**_"

Seikyo took off after Shukaku. The Tanuki's stomach swelled and he unleashed an attack, "Wind Style: Air Bullets!"

Seikyo was faster than Shukaku had thought and had flashed in front of him, swinging a deadly paw at the tailed beast.

Shukaku's body was knocked over from the strike. Seikyo growled and let out a howl.

"Hey Seikyo! Use _that_ Jutsu!"

The fox gave a nod and put its paws together, "Summoning Style: Spirit of Inari!"

The heavens parted and a large white figure descended. Flowing hair and robes, that were so white, it was hard to tell which was which.

It appeared to be a female but Naruto was smart enough not to question the gender. Never piss a god off! Bad things always happen!

Shukaku, who had finally gotten his composure, froze and his jaw dropped.

Inari fixed the Ichibi with a disinterested look, "**Tanuki! Return to your vessel!**"

Inari placed a large hand over the area where Shukaku's heart lay and said something, in a language that Naruto couldn't understand.

A large seal appeared on the sand creatures body. Inari's hand moved to the large stomach and the seal followed its path. Saying something else and then pushing against the seal as it glowed a bright green.

Shukaku's form shrank until Gaara was left, falling to the ground.

Naruto's breath caught when Inari turned to her.

Inari just nodded in her direction and then spoke to Seikyo, "**Come. We shall leave this to the Jinchuuriki now**."

Seikyo nodded and bade Naruto a farewell, before following his master.

Naruto stared off into the heavens for a while, lost in thought.

_Wow! So that's the fox god._

_**Yes. Inari sama moved the seal on Gaara. It was originally over the heart, and as you know, that is a dangerous place to put anything, let alone a seal. Inari sama made it so that Shukaku would have less control within the boys mind.**_

_Thank Kami. I don't think I could've done that!_

_**Most definitely not. Now go and find the Tanuki vessel. **_

_Yeah yeah._

She found Gaara laying in a crater that he had formed when he landed.

He was looking up at the sky in silence. When she came into his line of view, he sighed.

"You defeated me. Even with Shukaku's help, you defeated me. I will leave you alone now," he said.

Naruto could hear the sadness in his tone. He had been so sure that he would win, that she would have to be with him in the end, that he never thought about losing. Now that he had lost, he was feeling more depressed than ever. His only chance of getting someone who would understand him, to stay with him forever, was crushed.

She winced as a dead look came into his eyes. He didn't look angry or sad. He didn't even look like he cared. But she knew better. It was a defence that he had built for himself. Like how she had acted like an idiot for so long. A defence mechanism that guarded their emotions from the outside world. So that no one would ever see the pain they really went through. What the hatred of their villages really did to them. All of it would stay locked up inside.

She knelt down beside him, "I won't lie. I find you kind of creepy."

She could see a small glimmer in his eyes and they narrowed slightly. He was offended.

"Yet, I also find you really attractive and I get a little excited over your dominant personality," she went on to explain.

His eyes widened immediately. He looked at her in shock.

She smirked, "Kurama told me, that if I win, I can choose whether or not to accept your courtship."

Gaara's breathing halted. She saw his chest freeze as he waited for her to speak.

"I think you need a friend more than anything at the moment. We're still very young and I'd like to give it time before I start dating you," she smiled.

Gaara's face flushed at the word 'date'. She had accepted him! Not immediately, but eventually!

"How are you so understanding? So strong?" he asked in confusion.

"Because, I had a hard life too. I know how you feel. And, I have something worth fighting for. My friends, who know what I am and don't hate me or hold it against me. My village, that I swore I would protect and change for the better. For the Yondaime, who entrusted the future of this village to me when he sealed Kurama inside me. And for my parents, that I never met. I want them to see what I'm doing, and be proud to call me their daughter," Naruto said as tears came to her eyes.

"I would like to be your friend Gaara. I think we can move onto a deeper relationship after a couple of years. Okay? In return, I will try to help you gain friends just like mine and help you open your world up," she said, holding out her hand.

He looked at her hand and slowly raised his own to shake it.

"Thank you. Now, I would suggest that you stay down and just follow the orders of the men who are coming. The drama will end sooner if you do," she told him while looking off at the oncoming ninja.

Kakashi and Asuma stopped before her, both stunned to see her conversing with the Suna ninja.

"He's agreed to go quietly," she told them as she stood.

Kakashi was the first to speak, "Naruto, you summoned and used jutsu that are way beyond the knowledge of a Genin. Not even a _Chunin_ can do these kind of things."

She shrugged, "With the Kyuubi teaching me for so long, I know many things. Including some very dangerous Kinjutsu. I did what I had to. Though I wasn't all that pleased to reveal some of the things I can do."

Asuma and Kakashi just looked at each other in astonishment. A Genin that could pull off such dangerous jutsu and not even look worn out. She had to be at least Jonin level.

They went about taking Gaara to the Hokage while Naruto went to find her team. When she found them, they were all lying on the ground talking to each other. Kitten was unconscious and his puppet was destroyed.

"Hey guys!" she called out as she landed.

"Hay Naruto!" they called back, each raise an arm to wave at her.

"Gaara is being taken in by Kakashi sensei and Asuma sensei. I'll help you guys out," she told them. Making some clones, she had them each pick up a Genin and then they headed for the hospital.

_I hope everything is okay now. Orochi teme should've lost._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Hiruzen Sarutobi sighed in annoyance. As the Hokage, he had to put up with the annoying civilians on the council. The ones that thought they had power over what happened to _his_ shinobi.

They had convened to discuss the happenings of the village as of late. The attack from Suna and Oto had left them pretty damaged. The prisoners they had taken refused to speak no matter the torture. The only one who was willing to speak, was the Suna Jinchuuriki, Sabaku no Gaara, son of the Yondaime Kazekage.

He had relayed everything he knew of the invasion. How he was considered the trump card, but he had negated his orders in favor of pursuing Naruto. The boy didn't do well with being told what to do. The only thing he wanted was to fight Naruto. He did what he wanted in his own village and Hiruzen found out that everyone gave the boy everything he wanted because they feared him so much.

He was given a long leash. Even by his sensei who was supposed to keep him in line. His sensei, who left his students in Konoha and ran away. When Hiruzen informed the Suna siblings, they all had the same reaction and called their sensei a 'coward'.

He had just gotten a message from Suna today which had to be brought up in the meeting. It had been a week since the invasion. Since Orochimaru was chased off after a fatal injury that he and Jiraiya had dealt him and the retreat of the foreign ninja.

Baki, the Suna siblings sensei, and one of the Kazekage's advisors, had sent a message. During the invasion, some patrolling ninja had found the bodies if the Kazekage and his bodyguard in a ditch. Both were covered maggots, showing that the bodies were dead for quite a while.

Reports from the labs in Suna affirmed that they had been dead for a couple months. Since before the beginning of the Chunin Exams. Baki expressed his sincerest apologies for what Suna had done and pleaded for forgiveness. The Suna council also extended a peace treaty between the two nations and promised that no matter the situation, they would lend aid.

When he told the council this, the reactions were different. Some were glad that their nearest neighboring village wasn't against them. Some wanted to launch a counterattack against Sunagakure, which Hiruzen denied completely.

He stated that he would put together a team to escort all of the remaining Suna shinobi back to their home.

Then, he was able to move on to other things.

He had announced the Genin who were being promoted to Chunin and had to suffer the negative reactions from the Naruto haters.

"Those who will be promoted to the rank of Chunin are: Hinata Hyuga, Haruno Sakura, Shikamaru Nara and Naruto Uzumaki," he announced to the room.

"WHAT?!" many of the civilians yelled in outrage.

"How can you let that _thing_ become a Chunin?!" one of them ask/yelled.

"Why not Uchiha sama?! He's more deserving than that _thing_!" another screamed.

Kakashi, who was a representative of the Hatake clan and had a mixed seat on the council(because he was from a civilian family but was a ninja), stood up. With a cough, he spoke, "Though I would love to have all of my students become Chunin, I have to agree with the decision. Sasuke has pretty good intelligence. His skills are also very notable, but he had many downing points. He gets cocky and tends not to take his opponents seriously. _That_ is why he lost to Shikamaru. He also tends to think that his name will get him everything he wants, and that won't do in the ninja world. You civilians may pamper him because of his Kekkei Genkai, but we ninja won't. His actions in his battle against Shikamaru would have gotten him and his comrades killed if he had a team to watch out for. That's the hard fact. You are civilians, and have no say when Hokage sama promotes a ninja. Remember that."

When Kakashi sat back down and pulled out Icha Icha, everyone turned their attention back to their Hokage.

"Thank you Kakashi. As he said, Sasuke is not fit for the life of a Chunin," Sarutobi explained.

"What makes that _girl_ worthy of such a promotion?!" demanded a civilian.

Shikaku Nara was the one to answer that question. He stood and cleared his throat, "She displayed amazing use of Fuuinjutsu. A complete mastery of Kenjutsu, which is shocking for someone her age. Good leadership skills when she was given a team to stop the Suna Jinchuuriki. Defeated the Jinchuuriki by herself and came back with her team alive. Possesses two summoning contracts according to Master Jiraiya. Possess knowledge of many Kinjutsu and used one to save Hokage sama. Has the intelligence required, because she aced the test I had written up for the First Exam without cheating. Kept a level head through all the danger and ultimately proved to be a useful shinobi. One who is deserving of the rank of Chunin. _I_ for one, think she should be a Jonin, but that is Hokage sama's decision."

With his piece said, Shikaku sat back down. The other clan heads and shinobi were nodding along with what the Nara had said. Even Hiashi, who wasn't the biggest fan of Naruto's, had to agree.

He stood, "If I may, I would also like to add that the Uzumaki has somehow changed my daughter Hinata. I remember Hinata being timid and shy. Too afraid to fight back or even raise her voice. The Hinata that we all saw in the Chunin Exams was the product of the Uzumaki's training her. I think she would make an exceptional teacher if you couple this proof with her obviously high intelligence and amazing skills."

Everyone was slack jawed. Hiashi Hyuga had just defended Naruto of all people!

Sarutobi nodded in pride. Naruto was moving the hearts of people. Maybe not at the fastest of paces, but the fact that the Hyuga Head, was standing up for her, meant alot.

"Now, I will be giving the promotions tomorrow. Onto another matter. I'm getting to the point in time where I feel I need to retire, for good this time. Jiraiya has refused to take up the seat as Hokage. Besides, he has his spy network to keep up with," Hiruzen told them all.

"Who will be the Godaime then?" Homura asked.

Sarutobi looked over at his advisors, "I'm sending Jiraiya out on a mission to get Tsunade."

Everyone blanched at the sound of the name.

"Really?" came a simultaneous question from everyone in the room.

"Yes."

The whole council was shocked. Too shocked to say anything.

"Now that everything is out of the way, this meeting is adjourned," Sarutobi said, much to the relief of the clan heads and the shinobi.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Kakashi, Asuma and Kurenai stood in the Hokage's office. Pride pouring off of them in waves.

The Rookies, fresh out of the Academy only a couple of months prior, had already become Chunin.

Naruto, Shikamaru, Hinata and Sakura stood before the Hokage's desk in confusion. They had no idea why they were there and what their sensei's were doing there as well.

Hiruzen Sarutobi smiled at the Genin. "I am pleased to tell you all this. You have been promoted to Chunin!"

The newly promoted Chunin all gasped. They had thought they were going to be questioned more about the invasion. Apparently that wasn't the case.

They were given their flak vests and scrolls that proved their promotion ages.

The Hokage smiled, "I have a mission for you all as well. Now that you four are Chunin, I can give you a C Rank mission for only you four. Naruto will lead."

They all gasped again.

"You will be escorting the Suna siblings and five other Suna ninja back to their home. They were played by Orochimaru, who actually killed their Kazekage a while ago and impersonated him for the invasion. You have a week to complete this mission. Now go home, get ready and meet at the Main Gate in an hour," he ordered with a smile.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto walked alongside Gaara as they approached Sunagakure. "How does it feel to return home?" she asked.

He shrugged, "Even though I was a prisoner, I prefer Konoha. Not everyone knew that I was a Jinchuuriki."

Naruto nodded absentmindedly, "I can get that. My first C Rank mission was an escort that became an A Rank, because we encountered an S Class criminal. Tazuna was the bridge builder, who was being targeted. If he was alive, then the poverty stricken country would have a connection to the mainland and the shinobi nations. Thus, taking away the power from the power hungry tyrant Gato. Taking down Momochi Zabuza and Gato seemed to have a big effect on the citizens of Wave. They named their bridge after me cause I left a good impression. I cried when leaving, cause I knew that I would have to return to a village where they hated me everywhere I went. I won't fault you for feeling the same.'

Gaara looked at her. She was closer than anyone ever bothered to get to him.

_**She likes you. Don't mess this up! **_Shukaku growled in his mind.

Unlike the other times he spoke, Gaara felt no pain from this interaction.

_**That stupid fox god strengthened the seal, so I can't mess with your mind like before! Again, answer the Vixen. She's the most important thing. Even though she didn't agree to become yours now, she said later. Now get closer so that 'later' can come **_**sooner **_**than previously thought!**_

Gaara nodded in agreement and turned to the blonde.

She was smiling at him. One that he could tell was real. Watching her interaction with other people, he was able to distinguish the real smiles from the fake ones.

His heart stuttered at the thought of her smiling because she like him.

He let out a small sigh. Teenage hormones were weird. He never felt like this before. But he could easily tell that it wouldn't ever go away. Naruto just had something about her that he would never forget.

The blonde danced in front of, walking backwards in order to get a good look at his face. "So, how did you feel when you found out that Orochi teme killed your father? And please, be honest. I won't judge."

Gaara looked her in the eye and said evenly, "I was happy."

She nodded in understanding. "Can I offer something? An opinion if I may?" she asked.

He gave her a quick nod and she beamed.

"Okay, I don't agree with his methods. Putting a demon in you while you were in the womb was foolish. His assassination attempts were also uncalled for and I don't condone his actions toward you at all. I'm not trying to defend him, just so you know. But, I don't think you should hate him," she said in a sagely tone.

Gaara's head tipped in confusion.

"You don't have to like him, but don't hold everything against him. He's dead, so holding all these feeling of animosity for him, will only end up hurting you. He isn't feeling it. Also, he was the Kazekage. He had intended for you to be a weapon, but you became too powerful and uncontrollable. Though he wasn't a good father, he was pretty good Kage. He had to think about his village's safety. Can you count how many times you lost it because someone looked at you the wrong way? How many you killed because you weren't in control? It's the Kazekage's job to protect his people. Though he sucked as a father, he did what he had to as a Kage. He wasn't perfect and he had flaws like everyone else in this world. I think you should come to grips with what he did. You don't even have to forgive him, but don't harp on it and let the anger fester inside you," Naruto explained, emotion pouring from her sparkling blue eyes.

Gaara looked down. She did have a point. He could just let it all go and start all over. Disregard the actions of those who dislike him, and try to rise through the ranks. And earn respect like what Naruto was trying to do.

Gaara nodded to himself. If he worked hard, and tried to be more like her, he would go farther than he ever thought possible.

Gaara looked at Sunagakure as they came upon it's great walls and decided right then and there. He would become the Kazekage and earn the respect of his peers by hard work and dedication.

Looking at the blonde who was currently jabbering to her Hyuga friend, he smiled. It was small, but it was the first time he'd ever done such an action, when it had nothing to do with killing.

_Naruto Uzumaki._

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Naruto finished giving the Hokage her report and smiled at the success of her mission. She has gotten to leave the pain in the ass village for awhile, hang out with Gaara and learn more about him and pull of a successful mission. Everything as all good.

"Well Naruto, I'm impressed with how you detailed your report. Very nicely done. Now, I actually have another mission for you," said the Hokage.

She gaped. So soon!

"You will be going with Jiraiya to find someone. In the meantime, he will be training you as you travel. This is also a C Rank mission. Any questions?"

Naruto folded her arms, "Who are we finding?"

"Tsunade. She will be the Godaime and I will be retiring," Hiruzen with a twinkle in his eye.

Naruto groaned, "I wanted the day you retire to be the day you fork over that hat!"

Hiruzen laughed. Some things would never change!

"Well, I hope the Slug Sannin is really good enough for it. Or I _will_ take the hat from her and plant my ass in that seat myself!" the girl exclaimed, chakra blazing.

Hiruzen chuckled lightly, "Don't worry, she is."

"Can I bring someone with me?" she asked suddenly, getting an idea.

The Sandaime thought about it, "Who do you have in mind?"

Naruto smirked, "Oh, certain little person that could glean from such an experience."

_It would be funny to see their reaction to the Pervy Sage too!_

_**Kit you are evil!**_

**A/N: So, I had to have the council in here for some reason. I guess I wanted to make it obvious that the village still hates Naruto. Like in chapter 5. I had them burn down her house on her birthday to show how deep their hatred is. I don't want it getting too, 'Naruto seems to have everybody's respect and isn't really all that hated', because she still is.**

**Let me know what you think please? I plan to have someone accompany Naruto on her mission. A mission that you are all aware of. Besides the Pervy Sage, who do you think she'll bring? ;)**

**Until the next chapter!**

**Ja ne! :D**


End file.
